


100

by Silentmonk



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Loki (Marvel), Because I like Jarvis, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Loki has a heart, Magic, Multi, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Iron Man 3 Compliant, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Somewhere, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2020-09-06 16:08:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20294269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silentmonk/pseuds/Silentmonk
Summary: "What does 100 mean to you? Is it an amount of money? How many people you know? How many cups of coffee you have in a week or day? Is it a lot or a little? When we think of 100 its normally of something, or out of, and is typically associated with a high value. Now lets imagine it as time. 100 minutes, or 1 hour and 40 minutes, not bad if its a break or time for a test, 100 hours, 4 days and 4 hours sounds like a good time in the lab.. 100 years, a great life span for an average human, I wont see it but... 100 days... almost a third of a year.. summer break for kids... and how long I have to live..." -Tony StarkA curse has wrapped itself around Tony Stark, and the only mage alive other than the Norns themselves that can help him is Loki. His chances are slim as it is, the type of curse he later finds out, makes it nearly impossible.





	1. Countdown Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Trying my hand at Fanfiction, my first one. I hope you enjoy

None of the Avengers were thrilled, they had that right of course, Tony had more of a right than they did by all accounts he was the one with strange glowing magic runes. Thor and Strange had both been looking over the runes on the Shield Carrier, Thor had given up about ten minutes ago, Strange was still looking. Natasha was eyeing him, Tony, carefully as if he were to kneel over any moment. Steve was in his chair with his arms crossed looking like he wanted to punch Tony, or maybe just the runes dancing along the engineer’s skin. After more poking and arm twisting by the good doctor he stepped up next to Wong.

“What’s the verdict?” Fury asked who like the rest of them had been silent while the two looked him over.

Thor and Strange shared a look. “I will go first,” Thor said then, “They are old Nordic runes and if I remember right a part of the spell is latched to his core, and has an element of protection?” Thor didn’t sound too sure. “The only ones that remember the old Nordic runes were mother, Loki and Nila that I recall.”

Strange nodded his head to this information, “I cannot read the runes, or tell you their functions, I can tell you that is old magic. I can also tell you,” he nods to Tony at this, “you are one part of this spell. If I can have pictures I will search the libraries.”

“If it is old magic as you say, Loki had always enjoyed studying the old magic,” he rubbed his head and back of his neck at this statement. “It is doubtful he will be willing to assist however.”

“Keep your brother in the prisons of Asgard,” Clint said, “its where that bastard belongs.”

“Stark we will have pictures taken of those and send them with Strange and Wong and I will have one of my teams look into this,” Fury said and glared with his one eye at Tony. “No complaints, this is mandatory, we don’t know what it is, and your ass best be damn glad I ain’t locking you in confinement.”

Tony chuckled and watched the runes start to vanish on his skin. Strange and Thor had to pulse them with magic to keep them visible. “Yeah sure,” Tony said. It’s not like I haven’t had my picture taken before. Fury nodded his head. Tony left with Hill and Strange as the rest of the Avengers sat at the table. Fury rubbed his forehead and shook his head.

“Magic, why is it that Earth became the playing ground for the unthinkable?” muttering to himself, he turned to the rest of the team, “so any idea as to who the hell pulled that shit on Stark?”

“Never seen her before,” Clint said. “She was fighting with Amora, or wiping the floor with Amora more like, Skurge didn’t even stand a chance, he was out cold, and she was preventing Amora from leaving. We got closer to try and assist.”

“She turned to Tony before anyone could make a word, and we all froze for five? Ten seconds?” Steve said before licking his bottom teeth in his agitated tic. “She weaved a spell and touched Tony’s Iron Man armor, didn’t seem like it mattered, and then just, vanished. No name or anything.”

“And what did she look like? They all have a look,” Fury said.

“That’s another thing,” Natasha started this time. “She was nondescript. Longish, maybe mid-back, light brown hair, in a pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt, she had sandals on, and I wasn’t close enough to see her eyes. Her face was pretty, but average in there was no markings or outstanding features, she didn’t wear makeup that I could see… she was, plain.”

“That’s the creepy part,” Clint said and nods to Thor. “As for the hair and general features we just described a third of the women in Asgard, and what? A tenth or so of the women here on Earth? Not to mention the other realms he,” gestures towards Thor, “said she could be from.”

“Do not forget glamour spells friend Barton,” Thor says. “If I may have a copy of those photos, I would take them to Asgard.”

Fury studied Thor for a moment before he nodded his head at that. “You do that.”

The pictures were non-intrusive, arms, legs, back, and torso area without taking a picture of the arc reactor itself. Tony was going to keep a copy himself, but then he remembered he had Jarvis, and Jarvis was awesome. Strange and Wong bid their good byes and left back to their own magical hideout. Tony clapped his hands when he joined the others in the meeting room.

“Hey Point Break, before you head back to god-land, come back to the tower so Jarvis can run some scans of these runes?” Tony inquired and it took Thor but a moment to consider and nod his head.

“Aye, I will need to make a call before I leave also, I thought I would head out tomorrow morning,” Thor replied.

“Staying at the tower?” Natasha asked standing up.

“I am afraid not,” he stood with her. She let her lips twitch at his response.

“Oh staying with the lovely Jane Foster?” Tony asked and batted his eyes at Thor. Thor gave a huff of a laugh and a smile but remained silent.

They walked out together as Fury saw them off he was lifting the phone to his ear. He nodded to them from his window as they took off in the Quinjet. “Coulson,” Fury said in greeting. “Land the bus somewhere in the US, I need Loki.”

* * *

“Okay Jarvis, I need a full body scan, ignore the bruises and focus on the magical rune things,” Tony said and stood in his workshop in a pair of shorts and Thor’s hand on his shoulder. “You ready?” Tony asked, “of course you are, no Dum-E I don’t need the fire extinguisher,” Tony said and then shook his shoulders. “Okay, ready.”

“Thor shook his head and the pulsed what little magic he had into and around Tony the runes appeared on the engineer’s skin and Thor backed away as lights narrowed in on Tony.

“Scanning complete sir,” Jarvis said.

“Thanks J,” Tony said and moved away from the platform and started to get dressed again as Jarvis projected the scan on the monitors and the holotable.

“I must be going now, friend Stark,” Thor said as he looked at his phone. “My friend will be home soon.”

“Yep, see you when you get back, Jarvis can you pull out all these runes into lines?” Tony asked as he moved over to the table and did away with his actual body and only had the runes appear. “Run a complete scan on all Norse, Norse religious, and mythology and Norwegian writings.”

“Shall I compile all this data on your personal server?” Jarvis asked.

“No, shield already knows about this,” he replied glaring at the runes as if they would magically, yes pun intended there, give him the answers. Sadly all they did was float on the hologram back at him.

“Wow, going back to Norse history Tony?” said a female voice and Tony turned with a hurt and annoyed expression on his face.

“Pep, hey, no, some kind of mumbo jumbo voodoo curse thing someone put on me,” Tony said and held up his hands when she opened her mouth, “ah.. ahhaahh,” he made a noise. “We’re going to figure it out, no worries, no panic, look I’m fine, nothing wrong with me other than glowing runes occasion. Thor is going to go ask his Asgardian friends, Strange is on it, and so is one of Shield’s teams, though I am not sure what that is supposed to do.” He held her arms as she gives him the not impressed look.

“Well in the mean time you have a business dinner to get to, black tie, your suit is upstairs,” Pepper said.

“You know you’re not my PA anymore right?” he made circle hand gestures at her.

“Yes Tony I know, but you don’t have one yet,” she looked at him and smiled. “Will you be okay? This isn’t another reactor thing is it?”

“Where I’m dying?” he asked and plopped some dehydrated blueberries in his mouth. “No, no Pep, nothing like that, I think, well I don’t know yet, its magic after all.”

“Tony,” she groaned out, “this isn’t funny.”

“No, I know, and it’s not a joke either, there are people working on it, including the handsome genius in the room,” he said and then pointed up, “and Jarvis too.”

“Thank you for the credit sir.”

“Anytime J,” he looked back at Pepper then and kissed her forehead. “I will keep you updated one hundred percent. No secrets.”

“Okay Tony. Now go shower and change.”


	2. Day: 100

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “In a manner,” at the sound of Fury’s irritated huff and glare Loki looked up from the pictures. “I know of it in a manner as I studied it hundreds of years ago, I would need some special books from my chambers in Asgard for more research. I can tell you this person is on a count down,” he said and pointed to some runes on the arm. “This says Days:100, these runes will change daily until there are 0.”
> 
> “And what happens then?” Fitz asks.
> 
> “They die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early Chapter, I got it done sooner than expected.

It wasn’t anything special this business dinner; it was in a fancy restaurant with men in suits and women in fancy dress and terrible food and alcohol. Tony let out a chuckle, this is what he used to like, the glamour and the rich and the press. He was over all that after a few years of being Iron Man. If he was being honest he preferred the dinners in the tower that Steve made and the quiet way that when Thor joined them he and Natasha would give those little looks and smiles, were Banner would talk about his experiments and Clint would talk about his family. Sure they had arguments after the Ultron thing, but they mostly got over that. So now he sat at the business dinner wondering what the other Avengers were having for dinner instead of this cold not really seasoned stake and a sprinkling of salad to the side.

Pepper kept looking at him throughout the dinner. He had worried her, he knew he did.

When they finally done with this and papers were signed and business was conducted they made their way back to the tower and upstairs.

“Welcome home sir, Miss Potts.”

“Thanks J, what did Steve cook?” Tony asked.

“Oh god yes please I am starving,” Pepper replied and placing a hand on her stomach.

“I believe he made lasagna sir,” Jarvis answered. Tony grinned at Pepper.

“Actual food, you know why can’t we have business meetings at like good places,” Tony said.

“Tony.”

“I am serious, like that dinner down the way that Steve likes to go to, or that Mexican place?” Tony said. “They have good tacos.”

“Tony, you can’t be serious.”

“I am, you know I am,” he said walking out of the elevator and stopped when he saw Fury and Thor standing with the rest of the Avengers watching Thor.

“Tony,” Natasha said and went to stand.

“We have bad news Stark.”

* * *

“Okay, we’ll land in Pennsylvania,” Coulson said looking to May; she nodded her head at him. “We’ll send the coordinates. What shall I inform him?”

“Magic, some kind of curse,” Fury answered and then hung up the phone. Coulson looked at it and then looked out the windows.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Curious, that’s all, send the landing cords to Fury,” he said and turned around and walked down to the main section of the Bus, Skye looked up from the table computer at Coulson.

“Mission?” She asked.

“Yes, something like that, you keep scanning profiles for now,” he answered and made his way to the lab.

“Okay so I got the regulator and the pulse generators for the shield, okay Loki, blast me with a bit of magic,” Fitz said.

“Not right now Fitz,” Simmons said as she had a tablet out next to Loki. “Okay so I narrowed down the poison to..” there was a flick of the wrist from Loki as he looked over the tablet that caused Jemma to squeak and the blast smacked into Fitz’s shoulder, he lifted his arm as the then the shield came up.

“Ow that bloody hurt,” he said and looked to his shoulder.

“Well if you’d be more patient,” Simmons started.

“The shield is a little slow to reaction,” Loki started the obvious.

“Yes I got that thank you,” Fitz said as Jemma walked over to him and looked at the small burn getting her medical supplies out to patch him up quickly.

“Assaulting Co-workers Loki?” Coulson asked as he stepped inside the lab. Loki turned to him, the black button down shirt with rolled up sleeves, jeans and tennis shoes were a drastic change from his Asgardian leather.

“Not at all, we were testing Fitz’s shielding against magical attacks,” Loki replied and then picked up Jemma’s tablet, “while trying to isolate that poison in, what was his name, Smith?” Loki replied and then looked at him from the corner of his eye. “What is it?”

“Fury wants to see you,” Coulson held his hands up. “He’s meeting us; we’re going to be landing soon.”

“Oh where is that?” Jemma asked.

“Pennsylvania site,” Coulson replied. “Know anything about them?”

“Are you requesting a scouting mission?” Loki asked and looked at the watch on his wrist. “Is this meeting going to go past four?”

“It may, he didn’t tell me what it was about other than magic and curses, and yes, scout it out as always,” Coulson said. “I will tell Skye to suit up.” Loki nodded and then pulled out his phone from his back pocket.

"Oh what fun curses are," Loki drawled and rolled his eyes. Coulson let out a breath of a chuckle.

“Oh this will be a good time to test my invisibility field for Skye,” Fitz said and grabbed an arm bracer and headed past Coulson. Loki tilted his head after Fitz and his eyes landed on Coulson.

“You know the drill,” Coulson said.

“Yes, that I do,” Loki replied almost sounding bored as Jemma walked up next to them.

“I will be monitoring both of your conditions from here like always,” she said giving him a smile and walking out of the lab, leaving him and Coulson alone.

“You know we would get done a lot more with you here all the time,” Coulson said. “We would welcome you aboard.”

“Thank you, but I really must decline, other obligations and all,” he says and then puts his phone away.

Coulson nods to it like always when he asks and gets the same answer. “The other obligation?” Loki hummed with a smile.

“A precaution in case this runs over,” Loki admitted.

“One day you will tell us,” the agent replied, and they both started up.

“Not like you would believe me if I told you,” Loki answered and stood beside the bar. "At least not without proof." A few simple motions with his fingers and the civilian clothes vanished into a more sleek design of his Asgardian leather, minus the cape and the long sides; it was more like his clothes before Thor was banished to Midgard. Dark green blending with black and bits of gold throughout the flexible leather, he adjusted a strap around his shoulder when Skye was walking out. She was in softer fabric, but Loki had magically sewn in Asgardian leather into her suit as it turned out it was highly damage resistant. She had on a metal bracer and Fitz talking low to her.

“Okay,” Coulson said and they all turned to the screen. A map of the building and its floor plan appeared. “This is the Pennsylvania State shield base, one of them. You’ve done this before, but this area is closer to Avenger’s HQ than the others, so our people may not be able to block the emergency help in time,” Coulson said. “You have 30 minutes to get in, hack the local system and kill or knock out any Hydra members. Skye will do the hacking and Loki will be doing the heavy lifting. You will remain in radio contact with us, video feed will let us know where you are and who you are interacting with.” He said and then the map changed views. “There are two blockades, but that should be a problem for you,” he looked at Loki who nodded. “Alright we’ll see you at touch down in thirty.”

“What happens if the Avengers do show up?” Skye asked as she moved closer to Loki.

“We run, they will fight before questions, and we need to avoid detection,” Loki said.

“Loki can you make the bus and everything and one inside it invisible?” May asked.

“Don’t you have a mechanical cloaking device?” he inquired.

“She’s right, if Stark shows up he can detect things like shielding, best to use magic,” Coulson said.

“As you wish,” he said and then he and Sky vanished.

Coulson, May, Fitz and Simmons watched the screens as Skye and Loki went about their task at clearing away the Shield Base of its sleeping Hydra agents. Coulson watches as Loki is quick to sneak up behind the hydra agents and either knock them out, or kill them, the information being supplied by Skye. They made a good team, and he had to admit he liked it much better that Loki was on their side this time. But it wasn’t long when Skye looked up from her screen.

“Who are you?” the agent said and started to pull a gun.

“Spotted,” Skye whispered.

“Yep, the invisibility shield lasted for 16 minutes with the current power supply, Loki,” Fitz said looking up however he stopped when he saw that Skye was no longer in danger the agent now leaning against the wall on the inside of the door.

“You’re so going to have to teach me that,” Skye said and looked back at the computer. “Avengers were alerted, rerouting the alarm to Hill,” she said as Loki got closer. “Jarvis got a hold of part of it. Sending him an update.”

“Was I mentioned?” Loki asked.

“No, just an unidentified female,” Skye said and looked over her shoulder at him. “Um, hydra?”

“All the ones that I can dispatch have been done so, the others are in too crowded of an area,” he stood to the side and leaned against her chair. “Also I used Storage Shed E, C was filled with weapons.”

“We got the video on that, and we'll give that information to Fury as well. Did you mark the sleepers?” Coulson said. “Finish up there and then get back to the bus.”

“Are you ordering me around mortal?” Loki inquired.

“Yes problem?” Coulson responded.

“Not at all, was just checking,” there was a tone of playfulness in his tone. “Have to keep you on your toes. And yes they have been marked so that in a few hours all normal shield agents in the area will be informed as to their design."

“Or cause Chaos…” Skye muttered.

“I dance close with Chaos and Mischief, we’re in a relationship, its working out so far,” Loki responded.

“Please, I would be surprised if you were actually married in the past,” Skye quipped.

Loki placed a hand on his chest. “My my Skye, you wound me, I was married twice, both for political influence for Odin, and the marriages only lasted a century or so.”

“Okay done,” Skye said and pulled the stick from the computer and stood beside Loki. “What is it?" Skye sounded worried. They vanished right as a horde of Shield agents burst into the room. Skye glared at Loki when they appeared back on the bus. “Dramatic much?” she asked and placed the data stick on the computer table and Coulson took it to add to the others or to send to Fury.

“Good work team,” Coulson said.

“Coulson Director Fury landed,” May said and they moved towards the down stairs labs and out the cargo load ramp past the two vehicles. They stood on the grass and Loki dismissed his spell from the bus and watched as Fury approached. He pulled his phone from his pocket as Jemma looked at him.

“Where do you hide those pockets?” she asked him, he gave her a small smile and a wink.

“Coulson,” Fury greeted. “Team.” His eyes landed on Loki as the trickster vanished his phone again. “Got somewhere to be?”

“In a matter of speaking, yes,” Loki confirmed.

“You have over time,” Fury said and handed him a folder and motioned for them to go back inside up to their command room. Loki was already looking over the photos. “What can you tell me?”

“Nothing pleasant,” Loki whispered with a frown, and Jemma took a photo when he was done looking at it.

“Are those Norse runes?” Skye asked.

“Yes,” Loki confirmed, “and they are weaving a very nasty spell on this person,” Loki whispered.

“So you know it?” Fury asked.

“In a manner,” at the sound of Fury’s irritated huff and glare Loki looked up from the pictures. “I know of it in a manner as I studied it hundreds of years ago, I would need some special books from my chambers in Asgard for more research. I can tell you this person is on a count down,” he said and pointed to some runes on the arm. “This says Days:100, these runes will change daily until there are 0.”

“And what happens then?” Fitz asks.

“They die.”

* * *

“So you’re telling me, that I only have 100 days for your team to figure out this spell before it kills me?” Tony asked. “And good science gods, who is your team because they are a lot faster than Jarvis.”

“That isn’t up for discussion Stark, what is up for debate is what we’re going to do about you and the gift that the Asgardian woman left. I want to know if those runes do change, also if its required you submit your full body scan to my team,” Fury said.

“Yeah, if your team thinks they can fix me…”

“It will take time, but they have assured me they would work full time on it,” Fury said.

“Can we meet this team?” Steve asked.

“No,” Fury stated and looked at Tony. “I am pulling you off Avenger duty, we don’t yet know if it will affect the spell or if the spell will prevent you from doing your duty.”

Tony just nodded and placed a hand on his face as he let out a long breath. “See Pep, one hundred percent informed,” Tony told her.

“Tony,” Natasha looked at him and he raised a hand to stop her.

“I am going to bed, I will think about this later, like tomorrow when I only have 99 days,” he said and walked back into the elevator. “Coming Pep?”

“Yeah, yes I will be up shortly Tony,” she said and he nodded. Jarvis closed the doors and he ran his hand along his face again.

At his private penthouse he walked out and to the bar, pouring himself a drink he stood there loosening his tie and sipping his scotch just thinking. “Talk to me J,” Tony said as a hologram appeared before him.

“Well I haven’t been able to find anything yet on the runes of that spell or curse, attempting to match the runes with the old earth Midgardian language is difficult at best, and impossible currently in the worst. However an alarm did go off while you were at your business dinner for a Shield Base in Pennsylvania,” Jarvis informed him and video footage appeared of a girl with mid back brown hair, a pretty face and slightly worried expression when she turned around. “This was the footage of the time of the alarm, however before that.” Tony watched the second video feed. The computer keys were typing on their own and lines of code was making their way along the computer screen and then the girl materialized.

“Asgardian?” Tony asked.

“Unknown sir.”

“Sound?” Tony inquired.

“No sir, just video.”

“Great, zoom in on the computer I want to know what she was looking at, or for, is she talking?” Tony asked as he watched the woman’s lips move.

“I believe so sir, would you like me to compile a –“

“J,” Tony said, “why bring this to my attention?”

“Because sir, she sent me a coded message that the situation was under control and has been dealt with,” he said, “scanning the footage I noticed several agents just dropping and vanishing from quarters and halls and being stored elsewhere. At this moment sir I believe Shield has a sleeping agent or two that may not be human.”

“So you think Shield what…” motioned with his hand with the scotch. “Paid someone to curse me?”

“At the moment sir I believe anything,” Jarvis informed him.

“Great, let’s keep this a secret for now.” Tony finished his drink and was pouring his second when the doors opened and Pepper walked through them.

“Oh god Tony, why do things like this keep happening?” Tony walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she started to weep into his shoulder the sound and bright light of the bifrost on the roof was a sign that Thor left.

Tony Stark was starting to really hate magic.


	3. Day:99

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They looked towards the screen and the screen was split into four sections.
> 
> At first the three were stunned into silence for several reasons.
> 
> Reason one, Coulson was alive, Steve’s jaw clenched as well as his hands into fists, Tony was blinking and Bruce was staring. Reason two, Loki wasn’t in a prison on Asgard he was sitting with the unknown female and Coulson and another woman and man. Reason three, they were making plans on the carrier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops... lets just say life happened and then writers block, still not 100% happy, but I needed to get it down, this isnt an action story, this is suppose to be building friendships, and more domestic avengers with the occasional problem and issue, and some over thinking...  
so please forgive me if I 'gloss' over most of the actiony bits.  
I hope to be more on a normal time frame now, we'll see

Needless to say, Tony wasn’t able to sleep well that night, waking up mere hours after he and Pepper laid down in bed. He made his way to the workshop, Jarvis started the computers and the coffee machine even before Tony said anything. Sitting with a heavy and tired sigh in the chair he turned around a couple of times before looking at his scans and the update on the runes. As far as Tony could tell they were a bunch of hard lines and the letters and numbers were symbolized was a jumbled mess.

“Language J?” Tony asked as he looked at it.

“Best I can tell sir is a form of old Norse, perhaps Asgardian in origin,” Jarvis responded.

“We’ll get Thor to translate later. So what caught your attention about this girl J,” he said and motioned to the computer were dutifully Jarvis brought up the video surveillance of the nondescript girl at the computer. Jarvis then pulled up more cameras. Tony watched as at first the computer was typing on its own and on another screen was an enhanced image of what she was looking at. Shield profiles from the look of them, Tony dismissed them at first, but then one of the other sections of the screen a man dropped to the ground and then vanished. Tony leaned in as he poured his coffee into the mug, setting the pot back he blinked.

He then started to see agents drop and vanish from the different screens. Only a couple of them attempted to put up a fight against an invisible attacker and those few had shown any blood, that vanished along with the bodies.

“What am I seeing here Jarvis?” Tony asked.

“I am unsure sir, all I can say is that Shield hasn’t reported these agents missing, I took the liberty of looking into their internal servers, I also started to cross reference this with other bases within the shield network,” Jarvis said and then started to flood Tony’s screen with videos of an invisible attacker taking agents down and they vanishing. “California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, China, Australia, Spain, United Kingdom, all bases that have data in the past six months sir.”

“Not all shield agents?” Tony asked.

“No sir, not even half of them, the attacker would often ignore many individuals and only attack specific agents,” Jarvis supplied. “Mainly which ever agent this woman,” Jarvis pulled up the nondescript woman that looked shocked at the agent at becoming visible at a computer, “would linger on for an extra moment in the databases. From my calculations sir,” he said and profiles of the agents that went missing appeared on another screen. “These are the agents that have gone missing so far,” he said and pulled up at least a hundred most likely more.

“Run a scan to see what connects these agents together Jarvis,” Tony said.

“Already on it sir,” Jarvis said.

“Anything?”

“Not as of it sir, also running a trace on the Jane Doe’s computer, I am 63 percent complete.”

“Should I be worried of a Skynet problem J?” Tony teased as he drank his coffee.

“Never sir,” Jarvis assured him.

Tony watched the screens for a while and looking at the girl’s mouth move, after the agent was knocked against the wall and was leaned up against it almost carefully. He watched her go back to the computer and then look over her shoulder and talk again, then the chair moved slightly that was a counter force to what she was applying.

“Jarvis, can you bring up the Index and filter out anyone that can go invisible?” Tony asked as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

“Yes sir.”

“You’re awesome J,” Tony said and leaned back in the chair and watched the progress bars on the runes, on the trace, and on the Index search. He almost felt himself going to sleep again an hour or so later when there was a loud thunderous crash and the sky lighting up.

“Mr.Odinson has left,” Jarvis informed him. Tony then started to throw himself into designs of the new Iron Man suit for a few hours. When the sun was up he walked down stairs to the Avengers common area where Steve and Bruce were cooking breakfast. Natasha and Clint were looking over file. Natasha had a pen chewing on the cap of it while Clint was rubbing his head. Tony could see very little but what he did see was a lot of black on white.

“Redacted?” he asked sitting down in a chair. Clint looked up at him.

“This is over redacted this is near...” he looked at it. “Impossible.”

“Is it one of yours?” Tony asked and accepted the glass of orange juice from Steve.

“No one of Shield’s teams,” Natasha said. “While we’re on down time we go over reports submitted by Shield Teams in field missions and special missions, these four are so redacted that I don’t even know why we have to go over them.”

“Is there anything?” Tony asked.

Clint shook his head. “The battle of New York was heavily redacted, some Index cases are heavily redacted, this,” he held up a nearly complete black page, there were four words in white, Shield Compound in Texas, he put the page back down and shook his head again.

“So why do you need to go over it?” Bruce asked as he sat a plate down in front of Tony and Steve placed one before Natasha and Clint.

“To make sure no one can understand it,” Clint said. Natasha gave him a look as she closed the file. “No I’m serious.”

“Its to make sure all relevant information is...” she paused. “No Clint said it right, its so others can’t understand what is going on.”

“Are there non-redacted copies somewhere?” Tony asked.

“Possibly,” Clint said. “Fury or Hill would know, as well as level eights possibly.”

“So high ranked shield agents.” Tony said and started to eat when Steve and Bruce sat down at the table.

“Any updates on the runes from Jarvis?” Steve asked.

“No, scan of the runes and translations are still under way,” Tony answered. “Have you heard of any attacks on Shield bases?” he asked Clint and Natasha.

“No,” Natasha answered and looked at him waiting to eat more, “why have you?”

Tony hummed in his orange juice and nodded his head. “Yeah, several in the past six months.”

The two Shield agents looked at each other and Clint shrugged. “I can ask Fury later when I turn in these reports.”

\-------

Loki appeared on the Bus at five after eight in the morning like normal on weekdays and took the folder from Jemma’s hands as she held it up.

“The poison hasn’t stopped but we-”

“Isolated it good,” Loki finished and hopped up on the table while he looked it over.

“You know it would be easier if you moved on, into the Bus,” she said looking from her microscope to him an awkward smile on her face. Loki hummed as he read.  
“Try an antitoxin for a ghost scorpion, that may work,” he suggested.

“Ghost scorpion?” Jemma asked and then it lit in her mind and she moved around the lab. Loki watched her a moment and then sat the folder down and walked up the stairs to the communal area.

“You saw Simmons first?” Coulson asked.

“Yes, she’s trying an anti-venom now,” Loki answered and took the file Coulson handed to him.

“Body scans of the curse victim. Fury says this is top priority,” he informed Loki as the mage sat beside Skye and looked over the scans.

“Better than the photos, however I cannot yet tell you much more yet, I will need to study these. Perhaps a trip to Alfheim,” he whispered the last bit as he looked over the scans.

“Meanwhile,” Skye started and pulled up a map of the Tristate area and focused in on Avengers tower and the upsate Compound. “My search shows that there are sleepers within the Avengers HQs. Running a scan on the main Shield HQ and the Carrier. We need to get Hydra out of those locations.”

Loki looked up from his folder to the screen. “Stark’s AI will be an issue.”

“Not if we cut power-”

“He’s on Arc Reactor energy,” Loki said and leaned back. “He makes his own power. I could give a distraction to get them, the Avengers out of the building,” he looked at Coulson, the man was sipping coffee and watching the screen and listening. May was sitting next to him. “It wouldn’t be too hard to do that. But the AI...”

“I can try and blind and mute Jarvis,” Skye said and looked at Loki and then to Coulson.

“Or we could just let the level 7 Shield Agent know,” Fitz said as he walked out of his bunk. Loki tapped the scans and looked at the screen of the two compounds.

“Barton...” Loki muttered and shook his head. “The carrier would be the easiest.”

“You’re going for easy?” Skye asked.

“Too many unknowns with the Avengers, and if I am not mistaken Stark was the one cursed?” he looked at Coulson out of the corner of his eye. “He’s the only one that I am aware of that would be able to produce scans like this in less than a day’s time.”

Coulson looked at Loki and smiled but remained quiet.

Humming Loki closed the folder and looked at the options for normal work. “Until I go to Alfheim or get books I require to study these farther there is nothing I can do with these. I would need the source.”

\-----

Bruce and Tony were talking in the living room about metal reactors, Steve stopped listening a while ago and was reading a book when Jarvis interrupted them.

“Sir, trace complete, I have eyes and ears on the unknown female.”

“The one that cursed you?” Steve asked.

“No,” Tony said, “one that’s been attacking Shield?” he didn’t sound too sure. “On screen J.” Clint and Natasha left for the carrier about twenty minutes prior.

They looked towards the screen and the screen was split into four sections.

At first the three were stunned into silence for several reasons.

Reason one, Coulson was alive, Steve’s jaw clenched as well as his hands into fists, Tony was blinking and Bruce was staring. Reason two, Loki wasn’t in a prison on Asgard he was sitting with the unknown female and Coulson and another woman and man. Reason three, they were making plans on the carrier.

_“I can lock them out for twenty, thirty minutes tops,” the girl said._

_ “I can likely get to them by then,” Loki said as he accepted with a nod to the older woman a cup and took a sip from it. “How many are we looking at on the carrier?”_

_ “It has about four hundred personal and an additional one to one fifty soldiers,” Coulson supplied. “We’re going to take this one at a more standard pace, scout it for two days and learn their routines.”_

_ “We can watch them from here, but I need their system to access the files,” the girl said._

_ “I can get you to one of their computer room labs area,” he said and sat down the mug. “I seen it before so there shouldn’t be a danger of popping into a wall.”_

_ “That hurt by the way and I am not forgiving you for that.”_

_ “It is not my fault the floor plan changed,” Loki smirked._

_ “You know you can walk onboard right?” said the older female._

_ “I can?” the unknown female said._

_ “I have clearance.”_

_ “I see, don’t even require my help for this one,” Loki smirked._

_ “It’s best if you don’t go, or go just for transport,” Coulson said. “Agents Barton and Romanoff visit often.”_

_ “Then I would have to agree,” Loki said and looked at the screen again._

Steve spoke finally to Tony. “This is live?”

“Yeah,” Tony answered. He watched the screens and then it changed to the Avengers Tower, the three men stood up.

_“The more difficult missions for us will be the Avengers Tower and the Avengers Compound upstate,” the girl said._

_ “With Mr.Stark’s tech it makes it near impossible,” said the unknown male._

_ “Near,” Loki said, “Its the systems you will have issues with, I can get to the Hydra agents.”_

_ “I don’t know if I can out hack Jarvis.”_

“Did he say Hydra?” Steve inquired.

“Jarvis can you use the program that she’s using-”

“Yes sir, I am running through the profiles that I have so far and this is what I have,” he said and pulled up the agents profiles and along the end of their bio almost stupidly simple was every other line had a word that started with the letters in Hydra. To mark themselves to other Hydra agents that knew the code, but not to anyone else it seems.

“Tony can you contact that,” he motioned to the screen.

“They call it a Bus Mr. Rogers.” Jarvis supplied, “and yes, I can video feed you to them.”

“Contact Natasha and Clint for me,” Steve said.

“Whats the play Rogers?” Tony asked.

“Get information on Hydra, and,” he looked at Tony, “Thor did say that Loki would know those runes.”

“You trust him?” Bruce asked. “He attacked New York a little over five years ago.”

“And now he’s working with or for Shield, Coulson is relaxed around him, so that makes me-”

“Romanoff,” Natasha’s voice came through the speakers followed by her face on the screen.

“Emergency Avengers meeting, can you turn your bird around?” Steve said.

“On our way back Captain,” Clint said.

“Thank you,” Steve looked at Tony. “Can you get the information in our planning room?”

“Jarvis is everywhere,” Tony responded and then took out his phone. “Let me text Pep that I wont be at the meeting, and I even have a reason this time.”

Bruce smiled at that and the three of them walked into the elevator and headed down a level.

They waited about thirty minutes before Clint and Natasha appeared and went to sit down. Steve filled them in quickly with the information they had so far, and Tony added some of his own about the snooping Jarvis had done. Clint was silent his face showing a mixture of emotions happiness that Coulson was alive, angry that Loki wasn’t in an Asgardian prison, angry that they were lied to, confused as to why Loki was with the shield team. Natasha however kept a blank face.

They sat watching the Bus teams interactions for a few minutes, the unknown computer girl was Skye, Natasha and Clint supplied May, Fitz and Simmons names. Loki was sitting at the bar with Skye as he was making notes on Tony’s scans, and Skye was rubbing her face every so often. Fitz and Simmons were in the lab down stairs Simmons working on an anti-venom and Fitz on some sort of tech. May and Coulson were playing a game of chess on one of the tables along the window.

Steve took in a breath and nodded his head as he stood at the front of the table with the Avengers on either side of him. Natasha and Clint on his left, and Tony and Bruce on his right. “Okay Jarvis, take over.”

They didn’t have to wait long before the four in the main communal area looking around before they got up and moved to the command room. Simmons and Fitz joined them.

“Captain,” Coulson greeted looking at the screen.

“Agent Coulson good to see you alive,” Steve said.

“Thank you, what do we owe this call?” he was seemingly unfazed by this.

“Well,” Steve started, “it was brought to our attention that a Shield base sent out a call for assistance but was rerouted and then informed to be a false alarm.” They watched as eyes went to Skye, who startled out of her staring at Tony.

“What? I am not always perfect,” she said.

“How long have you been in our system?” Coulson asked directing his attention to Tony.

“Long enough to know your algorithm for detecting Hydra agents,” Tony answered with a shrug.

“I have one damn question,” Clint said and stood up, “why is he,” he pointed at Loki, “not in an Asgardian prison cell?”

Loki smoothly lifted a brow at him. “I was for seven months before Odin would have the trial he knew he couldn’t win.”

“You attacked earth,” Clint said.

“And you assume that is a crime Agent Barton?” Loki inquired.

“You committed war crimes,” Clint went on.

“On Midgard perhaps, but you left my fate in Asgard’s hands,” Loki crossed his arms and leaned against the back wall. “Which I committed no crime on besides a ruin coronation of Thor, which I was exiled for.”

“How?” Clint asked.

“Asgard is full of Aesir, I was raised an Aesir, they are a warring people, ask Thor how many worlds we went to and waged war against,” Loki said, “the Aesir praise battle and war and its accepted. Having a war is not a crime, nor is killing anyone that stands in the way. If you wanted a different outcome perhaps you shouldn’t have sent me back?”

“Why are you with a Shield Team?” Natasha asked.

“Because I am working with and for Shield, about a year after I went to Fury, told him I wanted something to do and thought it would be best if I offer my services to Shield rather than be left to my own devices,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Been working with Shield for almost four years now.”

“He’s been a valuable asset,” Coulson said.

Clint sat back down and ran his hands threw his hair. Natasha was looking at Loki carefully and then looked at Steve.

“We have information that you’re looking for sleeping Hydra agents and that there are several in the tower and compound?”

“I can confirm this information Mr. Rogers,” Jarvis said.

“What are you proposing Captain?” Coulson asked.

“A pull of services and resources,” Steve replied. “I would like for us to work together to take down Hydra.” Coulson remained quiet for a while and then looked at his team.

“It would be nice to have the Avengers on our side,” Simmons said.

“It also means I don’t have to attempt to blind and deafen Jarvis,” Skye put in. Coulson looked at Loki.

“It would be easier to study those runes,” he said softly.

“Does Thor know?” Bruce finally spoke up.

“That I am here? Yes,” Loki said, “he should also be in Asgard retrieving books for me. he doesn’t know I work with Shield, though now he will.”

“You understand that you will mainly be working with Loki and Skye on these missions,” Coulson said.

Steve nodded his head. “The hacker and information person,” he nodded at Sky, “and the one that actually takes out the agents,” he looked at Loki.

“How many have you killed?” Natasha asked.

“Loki has clearance to kill Hydra agents,” Coulson said, “however I think he’s only killed ten in the past year. He knocks them out and puts them to sleep before storing them in a blind room, and Fury sends in a specialized team picked out by myself and Loki to retrieve them.”

“Why Loki?” Tony asked.

“Because I am much better at detecting lies than your lie machines, no one can lie to me or around me without I knowing it for a lie Stark.”

“God of Lies,” Tony said.

“I am NOT the god of Lies!” Loki growled out angrily. “Chaos, mischief, cunning yes, but not lies. I just happen to be a very good word smith.”

Tony watched Loki threw the screen. “Right.”

“How fast can your team meet up?” Steve asked.

“How fast do you need them Captain?” Coulson asked.

“Since we know of you now I would like to purge the Tower and Compound of Hydra agents,” Steve said. “When can we expect you?”

Coulson looked to Skye and then to Loki. “Suit up, Fitz you’re on communication detail. May head us towards New York upstate silent mode.”

“Yes,” May said and then headed out of the camera’s range. Skye stood up and closed her laptop.

Coulson turned to the Captain. “My team will be ready in ten minutes, expect company in that time. Would you also be so kind has to not spy on us with Jarvis Mr.Stark?”

“That fast?” Natasha asked.

“I’ll call you,” Coulson said and Jarvis ended the surveillance and communication with them.

“Tower first, and then the Compound, I want my home free of Hydra,” Steve said and looked to Clint and Bruce. “Barton will you have an issue working with Loki?”

“Nothing I can’t swallow,” Clint replied and stood up. “Though if he steps out of line I am likely to shoot him.”

“This is a sneaking mission, so Natasha,” Steve looked at her.

“I will be fine,” she said to him. They made a simple plan, and while they were talking about how they would get the agents out of the building, Loki and Skye appeared a few feet away from the table. Skye was in her stealth suit and Loki was in his. Hers being a soft gray and black with leather, his being mostly black and green. Their sudden appearance cause Clint and Natasha to jump, and Tony and Bruce to startle. Natasha had a gun and Clint had his bow.

“You can fucking teleport?” Clint asked.

Loki smiled at him and his green eyes slid over to Natasha and then to Steve, Bruce and finally Tony.

“Good morning,” Loki smiled and then clasped his hands behind his back.

“Sir Coulson is calling,” Jarvis said.

“Patch him through J,” Tony said holding onto his chest and then looked at Coulson as he appeared on the screen.

“Good, they made it, who will be joining my team?” Coulson asked.

“Barton and Romanoff as they are trained for this,” Steve said. “We will hold command here, would it be easier for the Tower or Compound first?”

“Either,” Loki responded as Skye went and took a seat and opened her laptop. Loki adjusted the ear piece and tossed one to Natasha and one to Clint. They put them on.

“Alright I have them, you did most my work for me Jarvis thank you,” Skye said.

“You are most welcome Miss Skye.”

“Lets start, Loki I will give you the ones on floors ten through fifteen, Agent Romanoff you will take the R&D departments on sixteen through eighteen, and Agent Barton, you can deal with patrols on those floors,” she said, there, on your screen you should see a room outlined in yellow, this is the dump room for pick up. Pick up will arrive in thirty minutes,” Skye said. “This is a stealth mission, if the sleepers are around others we avoid them and do clean up when we can. You have the go for lethal force if needed.”

Natasha nodded her head and Clint glared at Loki during the explanation.

“Coulson, Fitz,” Skye started.

“We have visuals on their coms,” Coulson said. “Do be careful and only take out the Hydra agents.”

“Read you,” Clint said and started for the elevator.

“Okay Loki, time for cloak and dagger,” Coulson said.

Loki barely moved before seidr wrapped around himself, Natasha and Clint and they vanished.

“Invisible or teleport?” Steve asked.

“Yes,” Skye said and pulled up the visuals so they could see.

Clint was spinning around looking at his surroundings.

“You’re in the hall of the sixteenth floor Agent Barton, Romanoff is to your right, you are invisible to everyone else,” Skye said. “Barton patrol the halls and be Romanoff’s eyes while she works. Jarvis are you connected with the coms?”

“Indeed Miss Skye.” Jarvis supplied.

Tony sat back and watched her work. Steve was looking at the screens.

“Can you supply Agent Romanoff with information while I supply Loki?” Sky inquired.

“I would be happy to assist,” Jarvis said.

She noticed that Tony and Steve were more focused on Loki’s camera than Natasha’s or Clint’s.

Loki was in the dump room writing runes on the door before he stepped out.

“Two doors down on your left is a room, known Hydra 2, Shield personal 1, perception block suggested,” Skye said. “H1 and H2 are standard level 5 footman, S1 is level 5 commander, reporting.”

“Skip them,” Loki said.

“H coming out of a door six down,” she said before looking at Steve and Tony as they kept eyeing her.

“Skip?” Steve asked.

“He’s going to wait until they aren’t around a Shield Agent, Captain,” Coulson supplied.

They watched as Loki’s camera got closer to the agent and then the man just seemed to drop and vanish.

“What’s he doing?” Steve asked.

“When he can, he uses magic to knock them out and then he teleport them to the dump room, or rather he spells the dump room that any agent that is knocked our or killed within an area gets teleported there.”

“I was wondering where the man went to,” Romanoff said quietly.

“No need to speak quietly Agent Romanoff,” came Loki’s voice as his camera showed him slipping into a room and touching one of the men in white behind a cubical. “I spelled you and Barton with silence and invisibility.”

“Then how are the others and Jarvis able to hear us?” Clint said.

“Magic Barton, the communicators in your ears were created by Fitz with your midgardian tech and my seidr.” He left the room and saw the two agents walk out of the original room down the hall. He waited patiently.

“That’s both disturbing and cool at the same time,” Barton said.

“Its more cool than disturbing,” Fitz said to them.

“Do you normally banter this much?” Steve asked.

“Yes Captain, it calms my team down,” Coulson responded as they watched Loki’s camera drop one and block an attack from the other and the man reach for his communication before he too was knocked out and had vanished.

Bruce was frowning at the screens. “If you were this methodical during the Invasion we would have lost,” he said finally.

Loki hummed thoughtfully for a moment as he slipped into and out of rooms and hallways, being quick with his work.

Over all the agents didn’t give them any trouble and they appeared back on the Avengers command floor Loki dropping his spells easily. Skye tossed him a bottle with blue coloring.

“What is that?” Steve asked.

“Sugar water,” Skye answered. “Seidr takes a lot of energy, spells that have to linger a while, sleep spells, the dump sight teleportation, invisibility, silence, they all take more energy than simpler damaging spells,” she explained while Loki took a drink.

“Not that I am weak by any means, but I rather have the energy when I don’t need it, rather than needing it and not having it. Sugar water helps replace what I use.”

“And how much did you loose?” Natasha asked.

“Since none of these spells required much of my seidr to begin with not much, you have all seen me with depleted seidr before.”

“The invasion,” Tony said.

“Yes, most of my seidr was going to healing myself, and breaking free of that blasted staff which,” he nods to Bruce. “Thank you for your assistance in that, though I did not appreciate my spin being broken.”

“Sure glad to have helped?” Bruce said confused.

There was the sound of a phone ringing and Loki reached into his pocket and frowned down at it. He clicked a button and brought it to his ear.

“Trickson,” he answered and was silent a moment. “Yes.” he replied and his frown deepened. “Of course. I-” he paused. “I am afraid I cannot. Yes, I will deal with it later tonight. Yes. Thank you.” He hung the phone up and put it in his pocket. He took a sip from his water bottle and looked around at all the stares. He didn’t even attempt to offer an explanation to them.

“Trickson?” Tony smirked.

“I can’t very well use Odinson, and I refuse to be called Laufeyson, though I imagine Wordsmith would have been a better choice,” he said and shrugged.

“Who called?” Clint asked.

“Someone.”

“Asshole."

Loki hummed and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t have to an-”

“You damn well owe me something,” Clint growled taking a step forward.

“Owe you? Fine, but I am not informing you of my personal life Barton, unless you want me to start interfering with your personal life?” Loki questioned.

That caused Clint to back down some.

“Now Stark, I believe you were cursed,” Loki said.

“Yeah.” Stark answered.


	4. Day: 98

Day 99 continue/end

Loki and Skye stayed for several hours, many of which was Loki looking at the spell work on Tony’s skin and the mage taking random notes on paper. Clint and Steve stayed to watch, not trusting the mage alone with any of them, and Skye all but ignored Loki and started talking with Tony on how to refine her algorithm to search for sleeping Hydra agents. They had lunch together and made plans for the Avengers Complex in upstate New York. They had to give Fury time to set up another collection run, and soon enough, Loki, Clint and Natasha were making their way through the Complex.

“It unnerves me that Loki can do that,” Steve sighed out as he watched the screen.

“You get use to it,” Coulson said.

“Loki has an apartment in New York, he teleports to the Bus,” Skye said as she was looking at her lap top.

“He lives in New York?” Steve asked.

Skye nodded her head. “Coulson and Fury know where its at, as far as I know, no one else does, he keeps it pretty secret.”

“Lets be honest with ourselves,” came Loki’s reply. “Thor also knows.”

“Yeah, about that are you two on speaking terms?” Tony asked.

“Yes Stark,” Loki had answered and left it at that.

There had been a small scuffle between Clint and two Hydra agents when they learned what was going on, however that didn’t go anywhere when Natasha and Loki both struck them with weapons. Loki brought them back to the Tower and dropped the spells, this time Steve had a glass of cloudy water for Loki and he took it gratefully. Loki and Skye stayed a little longer as Loki continued to look at the runes decorating Tony’s skin.

“What can you tell us?” Steve asked when it looked like Loki was packing up.

“From what I can tell its a conditional curse,” he said. “You do something in so many days or something happens,” he said and reached out making the runes on Tony’s arm flair. “Death in 99 days, tomorrow at sunrise these markings would look like this,” he said and wrote in old Norse or Asgardian the symbols for 98.

“You’ll be back tomorrow to study them more?” Bruce asked.

“No,” Loki replied, “I will however be back on Monday.”

“You keep regular working hours?” Natasha asked. “In Shield?”

“It was one of my conditions Agent Romanoff, I have other obligations I have to tend to. That cannot be put on hold,” he turned to Skye. “Ready?”

“Yep,” she said and gathered her things. “It was nice meeting you, and I hope to work with you in the future,” she said and held out her hand to shake theirs. With that Loki and Skye had vanished leaving the Avengers standing in their command room, questioning themselves.

Day 98

The next morning had Thor return during breakfast, he was sitting down at the table with a large leather bag on the floor next to him. Tony poked it with his toe. “Books for Loki?” he asked.   
Thor looked at him and swallowed his eggs before replying. “Yes, among other things,” Thor said and studied Tony’s face for a moment. “So it... you did work with my brother yesterday?” Thor inquired.

“Yeah,” Clint grumbled. “And he wasn’t bad to work with either, he knows how to work effectively and quickly,” he didn’t sound happy about that.

“Loki likes his tricks and his magic, but he also understands the value of peoples time, and knows not to waste his own with a duty or chore. I just had no idea he was working with Shield,” Thor seemed to think on this. “It has given him something to occupy his time and energy towards. I am happy for him.”

Tony sat down and took the offered mug from Steve. “Any plans for the day after you drop off the books?” Tony asked.

“Aye,” Thor said and then frowned at his plate.

“Plans?” Natasha inquired farther.

“Aye, I am going to the Zoo today,” Thor said and cut into the slab of ham.

“The Zoo?” Tony, Natasha and Clint asked at the same time.

“Aye, its a place you Midgardians have where you can view different animals,” he explained.

“We know what it is Thor, but why are you going to the Zoo?” Tony asked.

“I made a promise that I would and I swore to Loki that I do my best not to break this one, so my day will be at the Zoo.”

“I think I am following, but not sure,” Steve said. “You and Loki are going to the Zoo to spend time together?”

“Is there something wrong with this Captain?” Thor asked.

“No, but it seems like a nice idea, it would be nice to be able to relax for the day and do normal things,” Steve said.

“Are you suggesting we all go to the Zoo?” Bruce asked with a bit of a smile on his face.

“Yeah, I am, Tony?” Steve looked at Tony.

Tony shrugged. “I don’t remember the last time I was at the Zoo...” Tony said.

“Would Loki mind us intruding?” Natasha asked.

“If he worked well with you yesterday I don’t see a problem with it.”

“It would be nice to spend some time with my kids,” Clint said. “What time are you headed to the Zoo?”

“I think we were planning to arrive at 10 am and stay the day,” Thor answered. Clint looked at his phone and then stood from the table to make a call.

“We’ll meet you and reindeer games at the entrance,” Tony said as Thor finished his breakfast and he nodded to Tony. Soon Clint and Natasha were leaving to pick up Clint’s family. Thor left about the same time and that left Bruce, Tony and Steve to prepare for the day. Steve was packing a cooler with bottled water and some snacks for Clint’s kids when Bruce started to help him. Dressed in casual wear Tony also started to help with breaking up the ice.

“Something is off,” Bruce said.

“Is it the snacks?” Steve inquired looking at the ziplock baggies of carrots and crackers.

“No, why would Loki want to visit a Zoo? the normal way?” Bruce looked at Steve.

“Well,” Steve looked at the water bottles and frowned. “Maybe he’s trying to enjoy life here on Earth and he did say he had a life, maybe it really is just him trying to reconnect with Thor, as brothers.”

“I think that is way to sappy for Loki’s sharp personality.” Tony added and then added the last bit of ice. “All set Cap.”

Steve closed the cooler and then they started down to the parking garage, Happy was there with Pepper and she smiled at them. Hugging Tony she looked at him.

“Doing normal people things, I should be worried,” she did look sad. “I have to steal Happy though, I have meetings, have a good day boys. Take photos.” With that they chose one of the cars and got into it, Bruce was sitting in the back with Tony driving and Steve in the passenger seat they set out.

They weren’t the first to arrive at the Zoo, Thor and Loki were there with Loki looking cross at Thor. Tony, Steve and Bruce slowed their steps when they noticed the seething rage coming off of Loki, but that rage vanished when a girl with light brown almost blond hair in a thick bound braid came bounding towards the mage and grab onto his leg. She was in an Iron man red t-shirt and blue jeans with a Captain America jacket around her waist and hulk green shoes, in her hair were dark purple almost black scrunchies with little dangly arrows, and she had on bracelets that had the Widow’s design. The girl looked like a box of crayons threw up. When they neared Loki stiffened and frowned at them. The girl noticed them too and her eyes became alight with joy. She brought a stuffed bear up to hide her cute face. The bear was a light brown wearing an Iron Man suit with a softly glowing reactor in the center.

“Friends!” Thor called out with a grin. Loki rolled his eyes.

“Thor,” Steve said and stopped a respectable distance away, he looked to the girl that was hiding behind Loki and her bear. “Um,” Steve looked to Thor. “Are we-”

“Ah, yes, I was berated by Loki by not asking him first,” Thor said and looked at Loki who crossed his arms and scrawled at him. “It was perhaps not my wisest of choices.”

“Who’s the kid?” Tony asked.

“She is my niece!” Thor said. “Avalyne, or Ava for short,” he said proudly. “Loki’s third child, Narvi and Nafi are still in Asgard.”

“And this is why Loki was going to the Zoo,” Bruce said and smiled at the kid and gave a little wave. “Special occasion?” he asked Loki and Ava.

“Yes,” Loki answered a bit clipped and Bruce hid back a smile when Ava tugged on Loki’s shirt and frowned at him. He placed a hand on her head. “Yes, Ava turned five yesterday, but we are celebrating her birthday today because I don’t work on the weekends.” Loki said and looked at the others that were walking towards them. Natasha and Clint both faltered in their steps when they saw the girl but was taking it in stride. Laura and her three children walked right up and she introduced the children to Loki and Ava and Loki introduced Ava to them.

Natasha smiled at Ava. “Wow you like the Avengers?” she said. The girl nodded her head.

“Dad tells me stories of you all the time,” she said looking at her and then to Clint. “Uncle Thor got me a practice bow and some arrows,” she said excitedly.

Clint was stiff and he nodded his head at her. He was unsure of what to say to that, or if he was suppose to say anything at all.

“Right, well, shall we?” Loki asked and then ushered Ava towards the ticket booth. They stood there for a moment, many of them trying to wrap their heads around what was happening and Loki's daughter. Tony shook his head snapping out of the shock before he jogged to the window.

“Let me-”

But Loki had already paid the booth woman and had a hand full of tickets. Ava was hiding behind her bear again. Loki took the tickets and they all walked inside, he handed Thor a map, Natasha a map, and Bruce a map as well as hand out all their tickets.

“What’s the bear’s name?” Natasha asked Ava.

“Iron Bear, I have a Widow too, and a Hawk, and a Captain Puppy, and a Hulkat,” she said. “Dad made them for me.”

“Did he?” she looked at Loki as he was talking with Laura, Thor, Bruce and Tony on where to start first.

“A Hulkat?” Clint inquired. The girl nodded her head.

“Its a large green lion cat,” she explained. Clint couldn’t help but chuckle. Steve came back with three wagons, one for Clint’s youngest, one for Ava and one for the two coolers they had and the day bags that Laura and Loki brought. Thor was more than happy to pull the wagons behind him, as they locked together to form a chain.

They also decided that they would start with the savanna and work their way around. For the most part they ignored the stares and the open mouths and the pictures being taken of the Avengers at a Zoo. They walked around and Thor carried Ava on his shoulders like Clint did with his youngest son, Nate.

They talked about the animals that they saw, and they all took turns reading the plaques and taking pictures, normal people also asked for pictures with Thor and Tony Stark, unaware of who Steve, Clint, Bruce and Natasha were. At lunch time they stopped at the playground, Tony insisted this time that he buy them lunch since Loki beaten him to the ticket booth.

The younger three children went out to play on the play ground, Lila stayed with the adults.

“Who’s the mother?” Natasha asked Loki when he sat down at the table.

“Pardon?” Loki asked politely.

“The-” she stopped when he looked at her, his green eyes darkening, “not important, Asgardian tho?”

“Asgardian yes,” Loki replied.

“Is she a mage like you?” Steve asked as he sat down two trays of food, Thor was sitting down another two trays and Tony and two of the staff also had two trays each.

“It is likely, she is already turning her teacher’s hair iron man red,” Loki replied.

“Does Shield know about her?” Natasha asked.

“Fury and Coulson know,” he answered. “And until today, only Thor, Fury and Coulson knew,” he sent a glare to Thor. “It was bound to come out anyway.” He said and started to unwrap his burger and Ava’s. He was picking off the pickles of her burger and putting them on his own when he saw Tony take the pickles off his.

“Not a pickle eater?” Tony asked with a smirk.

“She’s not no, and I have to wonder if that’s not because you aren't,” he remarked.

“Yes, her favorite Avenger and Hero is Iron Man,” Thor said to them. “Her room is decorated in Avenger things that SI makes and sells, and also things Loki makes himself.”

“That’s going to make me blush,” Tony said and looked at Loki. “You don’t mind her liking Avenger things?”

“Why would I?” Loki said watching her play with Nate on the jungle gym, Cooper chasing after them. “The Avengers keep her safe as much as any other civilian. She was born on midgard and she has a birth record for New York, she is a citizen,” he looked at Tony and shrugged a shoulder.

“I find it surprising,” Clint said. Laura looked at him and then to Loki.

“It is what it is Barton,” Loki said, “Ava, Lunch.”

“Coming!” she yelled and ducked under Cooper’s arms as the two boys started to make their way back. “Can I sit next to Mr.Stark?” she asked looking at Loki pleadingly. Steve and Bruce tried to hide their chuckles. Thor grin faded slightly.

“I am not sure Stark would-”

“I don’t mind,” Tony found himself saying. He have his own shrug to Loki, and with a sigh Loki relented and Ava took her tray and went and sat between Bruce and Tony. She then started to talk to the two men about what she was learning in school, but only the science and math parts. Thor looked heart broken.

Loki leaned his shoulder against Thor’s. “She gets to see you often enough, her idol though, this is the first and likely last time it will happen. Give her this.” He whispered to Thor. Steve had listened and watched them from his lashes.

After lunch they walked through the reptile house and out threw a bird deck, and then they started towards the rain forest sections of the zoo. Ava and Nate had become fast friends and they ran ahead and around the group of adults. They had dinner in the crocodile cafe where one wall was the viewing glass for the crocodiles. Ava and Nate stood up by the glass and pointed at the fish and the crocodiles in the water, they watched the feeding of them. Laura and Loki got along well they talked about raising children and cleaning tips for the house. After dinner they watched the otters for a while with the kids slid down the otter slide, and then they had to head out and leave.

Clint was carrying an almost sleeping Nate towards the entrance/exit and Loki had a struggling to stay awake Ava in his arms. They parted ways at the gate then. Thor going with Loki back to Loki’s apartment, and Laura and the children going back to the farm while Clint and Natasha head back to the tower with Steve, Bruce, and Tony.

Back in the Tower they sat around the common room, Tony had pulled up pictures and some videos of the events of the day.

“He’s not so bad,” Bruce said looking at some secret snap shots of Loki talking to Laura, smirking at Thor’s antics and being a father to his daughter. It was almost a shock at how different this Loki was compared to the one that tried to invade Earth several years ago. They looked at the videos of Thor and Tony standing in front of the crocodile glass while one of the giant reptiles lazily floated past until a handler threw meat in, and the sudden slam of its thick tail against the glass startling Tony, the sounds of laughter being heard. There was a picture of Ava and Nate with Clint covered in birds. There was a picture of Loki and Thor standing next to each other with one of the zoo'z constrictors around them. There was a picture of Lila, Cooper, Nate and Ava all doing the Iron Man repulsor pose at a bear statue. There was one where Bruce and Ava were looking at a turtle. 

"He's different," Clint said finally. "Not half mad, and half starved."

"Are you going to be okay?" Natasha asked him. 

"Yeah Nat, its just, he's not some deranged madman I can blame anymore, it'll take a bit."

"By no means are we friends with the guy," Tony said. "But he's not an enemy."

"Yeah." Clint whispered. 


	5. Day: 97, 96

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “As for this curse, the only curse component that I can detect and see is the Countdown days,” he said and tapped the note pad and Skye leaned over to look. “Everything else is enchantments, and magic spell work to keep it in place.”
> 
> “Can you unenchant him?” Skye asked.
> 
> “That will take time, and some tricky spell work on my own and materials I cannot get on Midgard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the comments and kudos...

Day: 97

Sunday at Loki’s apartment was typically quiet and peaceful. Ava would sit and watch old news of the Avengers defeating one of the villains of New York, her favorite rerecorded battle was with Doom, it had the most Iron Man coverage, unless there was a battle already taking place then she was watching that one... but today it was a battle with Doom. Loki would make breakfast and sit at the table going over his reports and making sure he didn’t miss any details. Coulson long gave up trying to get any reports from missions from Loki before Monday. Thor would occasionally be over on Sundays, and he would happily play with Ava...

That was a typical Sunday.

This Sunday Ava was awake before the dawn light and was talking about the trip to the zoo yesterday as if Loki wasn’t personally there. While he made breakfast for a zoned out Thor and a chattering Ava, he had to smile some at the way she was excitedly talking about how cool the Avengers were.

Setting down the plates and looking at Thor’s dazed and drained face he chuckled. Then he looked at Ava and placed a hand on her head and sat down holding hers.

“Ava my darling,” Loki spoke gently. “I know it was exciting yesterday, and I will go to the store later and print out some pictures for the picture book. But yesterday was likely the only time you will get to be around them.”

“Why?” Ava asked.

“They will not hurt her brother,” Thor started.

Loki looked up at Thor and then sighed leaning back against his chair. “It is often stated the sins of the father is passed down. Just knowing that she is my daughter will taint their view of her.”

“My friends are not like that,” Thor started.

“No?” Loki inquired tapping his lips with his index finger. “So Fandral didn’t try and slip her poison when he came to visit?”

“That...” Thor looked at Loki and he then looked back to the plate. “The guardsman was his cousin...”

“So that excuses him does it? So then dear Thor, what horrible actions can I expect from the Hawk then? Or the Widow? There is a reason I was keeping her hidden.”

“They are honorable-”

“They are Spies and Assassins brother,” he folded his arms over his chest then. “Perhaps the good Captain will see it within himself to not harm her. But now they know my weakness, and its not something I care to flaunt around enemies.”

“Enemies?” Thor asked looking confused. “You work with Shield.”

“Yes, we have an mutual understanding, and terms of services and conditions that I made very clear,” Loki informed him. “The Avengers, other than you, and I have no such agreements, and my trust of them is not high.”

“But Iron Man is a hero,” Ava said pushing around her eggs.

“Yes my darling, but like all creatures, he also makes mistakes, he has emotions and memories, and they are faulty,” Loki reassured her.

“Brother...”

“Even I am faulty Thor, I made mistakes,” he looked at his brother. “I will not be foolish to believe because I would with a Shield team they would trust me, I will show them the same respect of not trusting them.”

“But I like them,” Ava pouted, and Loki let out a soft sigh.

Ava’s excited chatter and laughing vanished after that point and Loki had mixed feelings as he played the Doom Special for her and went to do his work. She was quiet through most the days, and listened very intently to stories Thor told her about some of the battles with the Avengers.

This Sunday wasn’t like the others and Loki could already tell his humble home was starting to get chaotic... not that he didn’t mind chaos...

Day 96

Loki appeared on the Bus after dropping his daughter off at school like normal, though he was not in the best of moods. Coulson could tell by the way Loki sagged in the chair at the table and dumped his books on top of it. The muscles screaming tension and an underlying worry. Coulson walked over and handed him a tablet.

“Fury said that Stark is our top priority,” he sat on the edge of the desk as Loki eyed the mission on the tablet.

Loki put the tablet to the side and lifted the folders for Coulson. “Yes, but he’s not an exclusion, I am to devote my time we are not on missions to him,” Loki replied. Coulson nodded his head and took the folders from Loki.

“You and Skye will be at Stark Tower unless you are needed,” Coulson said and Loki leaned back in his chair looking at the agent.

“At the tower?” Loki repeated.

“Fury thinks you will get more done there actively able to access the curse when you need.”

“And what about Avenger missions?” Loki inquired.

“He’s been withdrawn from those unless there is a dire need for him,” Coulson supplied. Loki rubbed his eyes. “So we’ll contact you if we need you.”

“The carrier?” Loki asked standing up and packing his books again.

“Agents Romanoff and Barton and the clean up crew will deal with the mobile base,” Coulson informed him and then picked up the tablet and again and shifting threw it before handing it back to Loki. Loki took it and read it over, he was frowning at what he was reading and then looked up to Coulson.

“I will keep you and Fury informed, I will do nothing for this man,” he said and sat the tablet back down on the desk. “I don’t have a contract with him, nor do I work with or under him.”

“I was hoping you would say that,” Coulson said and then Skye walked over and dropped a back at her feet.

“Really Coulson? Why do I have to go?” Skye asked. “Not that I am complaining, I’m not, its my dream to be in Tower and see all the stuff Stark has. And Jarvis. I really want to pick apart Jarvis’s mind.”

“It would be more like his ram,” Fitz said, “or motherboard depending on what you want to pick at first.”

“I was thinking his coding,” Skye said and looked at Loki. “Jarvis is awesome. Ready when you are.”

Loki nodded his head and then looked at Fitz and Jemma when she walked out of her bunk. “Stay out of trouble.”

“The ghost scorpion anti-venom worked on getting most of the side effects of the actual poison, I will send you updates,” Jemma said and reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “Keep our Skye safe.”

“Of course,” he said and leaned forward and touched his cheek to hers. “I am not leaving forever, contact me if you need me, for anything.”

“We will,” Coulson said with a smile. Loki nodded and shouldered his bag and took his Shield tablet. Skye picked up her bag and waved as Loki teleported them to the Avengers communal room.

They startled Tony and Steve who were in the kitchen area.

“Hey Bambi, and you’re,” he looked at Skye.

“That is Skye, she’s an agent for Coulson’s Shield team.” Steve said and nodded his head. “Loki.”

“Captain,” Loki nodded to Steve and then to Tony, “Stark.”

“So you’re here for the foreseeable future,” Tony said and then motioned towards the hallway. “This is the communal floor, and there are three guest rooms that way, feel free to pick one out baby agent. I assume you wont require a room?”

“I will not, but a place to work would be appreciated,” Loki said. Tony nodded and then nodded towards the same hall that Skye walked down. “You are to be available to me when I need you.”

“You’re not allowed in the worksh-”

“Yes I guessed as much,” Loki said, “but I can request you from Jarvis can I not?”

“That doesn’t always work,” Bruce said with a smile and a cup of tea from the kitchen.

“The whole reason why I am here is so I have unlimited access to the curse,” Loki remarked.

“Yeah, just ask Jarvis for me,” Tony said. “Do you need me now?”

“As a matter of speaking,” Loki said and walked over to him holding out his hand, “your arm.” Tony held out his arm and Loki took it and pulsed seidr through the the curse and the runes. Loki studied them for a moment and then removed his hand from Tony’s arm. Skye walked back out with her laptop.

Loki turned and walked to one of the office rooms, Skye following after him.

Tony sat there a while with Bruce and Steve and then got up to head to his workshop and his own research on the runes. Bruce went with him and had a book to read while Tony went through the motions of creating a new Iron Man suit and going over the runes himself. But soon he got caught up in his engineering. At some point Bruce left the workshop.   
Tony sat at his one of his desks tinkering with part of a glove that kept pinching his wrist. He was so lost in his work and the background music he ignored anything else. He was never sure how long he was in his workshop and normally the others left him alone.

Loki and Skye were in the small spare office, Skye had taken up the couch while Loki took the desk.

“Why couldn’t we do this on the Bus?” She asked after a while of silence.

“I haven’t a clue,” Loki said and leaned back in the chair. He had a pencil in hand and was tapping it against a note pad. “No that’s not true, Pierce wanted me to try and get Iron Man and Jarvis data.”

“You too?” Skye asked and looked at her laptop. “I mean I want to pick apart Jarvis, but not for that slime.” She said and started to type but stopped. “You really don’t trust anyone that high in Shield other than Fury do you?”

Loki hummed. “When I saw him the few times I did, I could tell he was lying to everyone around, and just a general dislike...”

“I met him once,” Skye said and then looked at her lap top. “Fitz is going over those weapons you found in the Pennsylvania base, he is taking scans of them and is going to send them to your pda. Pierce is the one that signed off on the creation of these weapons.”

Loki hummed lightly. “I would caution giving Pierce any vital information.”

“You think he might be Hydra?” Skye asked looking at him.

“Given what I know of him, its possible, he doesn’t hide his loyalties well, and he has gone against Fury several times in the past year, our missions from him proves that.” Loki watched Skye. “This isn’t the first sub-mission of a standard either.”

“Didn’t he want you to do something?” Skye asked. “Something with your magic?"

“He thinks I am being kept in a Hulk containment cell on a prison plane ran by May. So he believes I am at Shields disposal to do what they want.”

“He thinks you’re cowed?” Skye blinked at him and stood up to start walking around the room. “Who in their right mind would consider that true.”

“Someone that is being fed specific information,” Loki responded. “And he has been updated on Stark’s apparent curse.”

“Is it a curse?” Skye asked.

“I’ll get to that,” Loki said with a chuckle, “so believing that I am a prisoner of shield I am being forced to assist in this magical curse. So while I am contained here, with you as my keeper Pierce sent May a sub-mission for me.”

“Gather intel.”

Loki nodded.

“On the Iron Man suits mainly, but any other information like prototype Stark weapons, or the reactor tech,” Loki stated. “As for this curse, the only curse component that I can detect and see is the Countdown days,” he said and tapped the note pad and Skye leaned over to look. “Everything else is enchantments, and magic spell work to keep it in place.”

“Can you unenchant him?” Skye asked.

“That will take time, and some tricky spell work on my own and materials I cannot get on Midgard.”

“So you have-” there was a knock and Bruce opened the door.

“Pardon the interruption, do you two want lunch?” he asked.

“I will go out,” Loki said, “I don’t wish to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble as long as you don’t mind subs and chips.” Bruce said. “Really its no intrusion. Besides Thor might like the company.”

“I need to head to Alfheim, so again I will politely decline.”

Skye waved. “I will join you.”

“You’re not going to Alfheim?” Bruce asked Skye.

“No, Loki has never taken any of us off Earth,” she said and leaned up from looking at Loki’s note pad. Bruce nodded his head. Loki stood up from the deck and followed Skye out with Bruce. Walking to the communal dinning area Thor grinned.

“Brother!” Thor said.

“I am going to Alfheim.”

“Then allow me to accompany you,” Thor said and Loki nodded his head.

“Why are you going there?” Steve asked from the kitchen.

“I need materials for spell work.” As soon as Thor turned towards him and stood up, Loki teleported them away.

Thor and Loki returned a couple of hours later and Loki was glaring at Thor. Thor looked upset too but then Loki hefted the bag on his shoulder and proceeded to go back to the office.

“Problem?” Steve asked.

“Yes...” Thor then shook his head, “no.”

Bruce was sipping some tea looking at a crossword from the newspaper.

Thor sat heavily down in the chair. “I don’t care for the fey and Loki was insistent that he visit them. I tried to forbid him, but he left anyway, leaving me in the city until he returned.”

“Fey?” Steve asked.

“Magical beings, I do not get along with them, Loki is good friends with many of them.”

“Loki left you?” Bruce shook his head.

“Aye... but he believes he got most of his spell ingredients,” Thor said.

They didn’t see Loki for the rest of the day, and Skye came out around six for dinner, Loki had apparently left a couple of hours prior.

Tony and Steve being curious walked into the office. Books and notes scattered across the desk as well as strange shapes drawn on paper with notes written in a strange language.

“Jarvis, scan all this,” Tony said.

“Yes sir,” Jarvis said.

“What is this?” Steve said looking at some herbs in a jar.

“Scans show its not of Earth Mr.Rogers.” Jarvis said. “It has a similar makeup to aloe, and cacti.”

Steve put it back on the desk. “All this is to remove the curse?”

“According to Mr. Trickson yes,” Jarvis said.


	6. Day: 95

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hello Tony Stark, Hero of Midgard, and Man of Iron,” she greeted and watched him choke on his drink.
> 
> “Am I dead?” he asked looking around. “Did Loki kill me?”

Loki teleported directly to the office space in the Tower and looked at Skye as she was sitting on the sofa on her laptop, and to a startled Tony. “Scans of the weapons came in, Coulson wants you to take a look at them,” Skye said without looking up from her laptop.

“W..weapons?” Tony asked and then looked at Skye and Loki. “He do that often?”

“It’s how he appears on the Bus, you get use to the temperature change before he appears or disappears,” she said, “Fitz has one he hasnt taken apart yet for you to look at. When-” she stopped when Loki vanished and she shook her head as she kept typing, Tony looked at her. “He’ll be back in a minute or two...” she said and stopped her typing. “Why are you here anyway?”

“My tower?” Tony replied and then shook his own head with a chuckle. “I have some questions for Loki.”

When he looked back towards the desk Loki was back and tossed down a tablet and a gun type weapon. Tony looked at it and then stood walking to the desk and poked it. “This looks like Phase two prototypes.”

“The ones that ran on the tesseract?” Loki asked and at Tony’s nod he hummed and walked around to his seat and sat down, turning the tablet on he went over Fitz scans. “This is called a phase three hand weapon,” Loki said and put the tablet on the desk and Skye moved over and leaned on the desk.

“What does it run on?” Skye asked.

“That my dear Skye is what I will be figuring out,” Loki said and then looked to Tony. “I am also glad you are here Stark, I want to do a deeper magical read on those enchantments.”

Tony looked up at him from looking at the weapon and then nodded his head quickly. “Yeah sure how long will it take?” he asked Loki.

“Couple of hours?” Loki guessed and shrugged a shoulder. “Depends on if I find a thread I can un-weave. Spell work can be veritable.”

“Right, what do I need to do for that?” Tony said.

“Sit still,” Loki answered and smirked. “You will enter a meditative like stance when we start, do not worry, you can still talk.”

“I am not a still type of person,” Tony said with a smirk of his own.

“I gathered,” Loki supplied and then sat down and opened his book and shuffled threw his notes. “From what I can understand on the surface there is the countdown curse, where you need to do something within so many days, with a deeper reading of the layered enchantments I should be able to understand what that something is. My fear is that I will need to unravel some enchantments first. Which takes far longer than to weave them.”

“Not going to mess with my head right?”

“No Stark, that was the staff and the stone upon it.” Loki let out a breath. “That is one skill I do not possess naturally.”

“Oh good, so what is all this?” he asked and waved to the notes.

“Study,” Loki said.

“When he does things magical he likes to study it before he does anything so he knows what will happen,” Skye said as she walked back to the couch and sat down on it getting her laptop back out.

“More so with magic I am unfamiliar with. Simple spells I will readily do, but curses and enchantments of this sort are different than my typical spell work,” Loki said to Skye. “have you done your exercises this morning Skye?”

“No...” Skye muttered, putting her laptop back down she started to go through the motions May and Loki taught her. Tony watched her for a moment then turned back to Loki as he started to read.

“Thor can’t read this,” Tony said.

“He never learned fey,” Loki said and looked at him. “Trying to puzzle it out yourself?”

“Yeah,” Tony said. Loki looked at him and smirked. He took a piece of paper and then made markings on it and then translated those markings into something of English and then handed it to Tony. The human looked at it and frowned. “What... J, scan this?”

“Yes sir,” Jarvis said and then Loki closed the book.

“Enjoy your puzzle,” Loki smirked, “now shall we begin?”

“Yeah can we head to the communal area?” Tony question, “so you know we’re not alone?”

Sighing Loki nodded and took his shoes off and motioned towards the door. Tony walked out and waved at Bruce and Steve waved back and watched as Loki looked at some of his notes before looking around. “Take a seat anywhere,” Loki said and looked at him and then to Bruce and Steve. “Remember when we start you wont be able to move but you can still talk. This shouldn’t be painful and if it is you will need to tell me, it will be tingly? The feeling of your feet falling asleep,” Loki clarified Tony nodded and sat in an arm chair.

“Is that the best you can do?” Steve asked Loki.

Both the mage and Thor looked at Steve. “Do not worry my friend,” Thor said and clapped Steve on the shoulder, “Loki has been doing magic since he could walk.” Thor said. “Mother often said the complicated stuff took a while.”

Steve frowned. “That’s all well and good, I was meaning of paralyzing one of our own,” Steve amended.

“And that’s why I asked to be out here,” Tony said.

Loki shook his head and then lifted his hand, the room darkened and became tinted in green as the runes on Tony’s body lit up. Almost instantaneously, Steve was in a fighting stance and Bruce was setting down his mug. Thor was relaxed however as he looked at the spell weave.

“Sir I detect a power flux,” Jarvis said, “is everything alright?”

“Yeah Jarvis I’m fine, just a little pins and needles all over, and trying not to laugh, guys calm down, I’m fine,” Tony said and looked at Loki. “Right?”

“Yes Stark you’re fine,” Loki responded looking around at the magic thrumming with life and power. He made more motions with his hands and ribbons of old runes expanded to revel their secrets to him, which just left the others confused as they looked at it all. Bruce put on his glasses and walked over to one.

“This isn’t like what Strange uses.” he said.

“It is ill advised to touch Doctor Banner unless you have knowledge of how,” Loki spoke not bothering to look at the man as he had in fact been lifting a hand to touch.

“I want all the scans Jarvis,” Tony said. Thor moved to stand next to Loki.

“I have never seen so many ribbons of seidr,” he said with a frown. “How powerful is this mage brother?”

Loki looked at him and then tapped his index against his lip. “One of the three,” Loki responded and then made a motion.

“The curse foundation,” Thor said and Loki nodded his head. “You cannot knock this one down like you can Father’s can you?”

“No,” Loki frowned, “and if I tried it would kill him. I will have to carefully unravel it all, or he will have to complete his conditional.”

“What is the conditional?” Bruce asked.

“That was my line,” Tony said from the chair unable to move.

Loki looked at Bruce and then shook his head. “I haven’t found it yet, I just started.”

“But you found the foundation and who created it,” Steve said. “Why haven’t-”

“Because this is a mess of enchantments and charms to prevent me from doing just that Mr. Rogers.”

“You’re suppose to be one of the best mages there are, how hard can it be?” Steve asked and Bruce frowned.

“I will assume magic is like science and that you want to be careful or bad things can happen, taking one step at a time rather than run out of the gate would yield better results,” Bruce said. “Not everything can be rushed, more if you want the best results.”

“Thank you Doctor Banner,” Loki said and turned back to the ribbons of seidr magic hovering around the room, many of them twisted and knotted into another ribbon or many other ribbons forming large tangled strands and knots. Weave magic was never something Loki was fond of, it often took too much prep work to be crafted, and more often than not all of his prep would have been wasted with something Thor or one of the warriors three did when they left for adventures. What he used weave work for was the basis for enchanting items and disenchanting them.

So if Loki looked at this like one of the items Frey or one of his old teachers asked him to disenchant as a way to test his magical knowledge, instead of a person...

\---

Steve and Bruce stood off to the side and watched as both Loki and Tony went silent and still. After a bit Tony closed his eyes and his breathing evened out, Loki on the other hand held his hands out almost as if he was treading water, dark green like his sweater he was wearing energy flowing around him, brushing up against the ribbon runes but never staying long.

“Woah,” Skye said as she walked out about an hour after Tony and Loki had left the office. “That’s new,” she said and then took out her phone and started to take pictures of it. “So whats the verdict?” she asked and sat on one of the stools at the bar.

Thor walked over to her and watched Loki. “He is in a trance,” Thor said. “I have seen my brother in a trance a few times, though this one is different, his seidr is covering him.”

“Like a shield or alarm system?” Skye asked.

Thor nodded his head. “Yes, he will snap out of his trance if he feels threatened.”

“Yeah that magic, or seidr feels familiar,” she said. Thor nodded and then blinked and looked at her with curious eyes. “Before when I was just a consultant and not a Shield agent, I needed protecting, and when we went on missions Loki would, for lack of a better word, shield me, or who ever else was with him, he still does but its more monitoring magic he says.”

“Truly?” Thor asked and sat down. “Relax my shield brothers, Loki will be in that state a while if nothing bothers him.”

“Is Tony safe?” Steve asked looking at Tony who was laying back against the chair sleeping.

“Aye,” Thor said before they turned to Skye’s scoff.

“Geez,” she said and tapped on her phone. “Don’t give the guy any room to breath or anything, its not like he hasn’t been on Earth for the past five years...”

“Skye he lead-”

“Yes an army of aliens, I am fully aware of that, I may be a level one or two agent, but I have more clearance than most,” she said.

“One or two?” Bruce asked with a smile walking into the kitchen.

“It varies on which sections I am allowed in at Shield Bases and HQ.”

Steve nodded as he stood there watching the magical scene before him. “He’s not messing with Tony’s head right?”

Skye shook her head. “He doesn’t have that power,” she responded before getting up and taking more pictures.

“He controlled Clint,” Bruce put in, “what are you doing?”

“I am taking more pictures for Coulson,” Skye answered and crouched watching the magic.

\---

Tony fell asleep, he’s not sure why, but he knew he was sleep, or very very relaxed, he felt his head lull back against the back of the stuffed armchair and he knew when his eyes closed. Was this Loki’s doing? Thor and Loki had been talking, something about the magic.

He could see and everywhere was dark, a blackness that was far more calming then that of the void of space. It was warm, comfortable, like he was in his mothers arms again when he was a child, or the small smiles that Jarvis would give him when he accomplished something.

He was on a solid liquid was the best way to describe it. Standing, and when he took a step it rippled along the unseeing blackness that he could see. His head was hurting from all the contradictions.

“Hello?” he called out and the sound waved through the darkness. Then he saw a light, three in fact, as he neared he saw a bar, and a woman with light brown hair in a ring of braids and a rich golden dress that looked like it belonged in a medieval fair. She was sitting there with a gentle smile on her face and she tapped the spot next to her.

He walked more slowly.

“This is the strangest dream I have had in a while,” he said and sat down as a glass of brandy appeared at his hand. The woman, he would guess in her late forties smiled at him.

“Hello Tony Stark, Hero of Midgard, and Man of Iron,” she greeted and watched him choke on his drink.

“Am I dead?” he asked looking around. “Did Loki kill me?”

“No,” the woman answered easily, “and no.” the smile faltered ever so slightly. “I am Frigga.”

“Thor’s mother,” Tony said.

“And Loki’s,” she said. “He may have abandoned Odin and his claim of Father, but he would ever abandoned me, no matter the words or lies.” She said gently.

“You’re sure I am not dead, because Thor told us you died,” Tony said.

“Yes, in an attack, I am here by the grace of the Norns,” she nods to his arm, “which you have also had the pleasure to meet.”

“Yeah...” Tony looked at his arm and then back to Frigga. “So...”

“Yes, you are confused,” she said and placed her hand over his. “You already are aware of Hydra, and the chitauri,” she said and he nodded his head. “Yes... there are going to be a series of events, and,” he clasped her hands together. “Loki needs a reason to stay on Midgard.”

Tony tilted his head. “He has Ava right?”

“And he can easily take her to another realm or planet Mr. Stark,” she said, “the Norns have decided that you are the best match of the Avengers for him. You will need him for the upcoming conflict Mr. Stark,” she placed her hand on his and leaned forward. “I am sorry we had to take such extreme measures, but we don’t want Midgard in ruin.”

Tony turned towards the bar and ran his hands through his hair. “Why? Why is this my life... he’s crazy.”

Frigga drew her hands away from him and lay them one over the other, a soft smile on her face. “Is that so?” she asked in return. “The choice is yours mister Stark, but know if he has no reason to stay he will not, and far more will be killed in this dreadful battle than a mere few hundred.” she watched him. “Have a good day mister Stark, you should wake up now.”

\--

Tony woke up with a start to a scene of Loki drinking some sugar water that Thor had handed him as Thor had a second empty. He blinked and looked at the girl that was holding a bear blinking up at him.

“Hey kiddo,” he said and coughed, his throat was dry.

“My apologies, my brother went to pick her up from school and instead of taking her home, he brought her here.”

Tony looked at Loki and shook his head. “Its fine. How did the spell work go?”

“He did it all day,” Skye said from beside Loki. “Like really all day. Its almost seven thirty.”

“Yes and I should really get Ava home and fed.”

“You could stay...” Tony offered.

“Thank you, but I will decline,” Loki responded. Standing he wobbled slightly and gripped Thor’s arm.

“My brother has been able to disenchant three strands of your curse my friend, it has taken much of his Seidr to not get lost in the old seidr,” Thor informed Tony. “Brother, why not accept Tony’s offer of staying?”

“Because I have my own place,” Loki countered.

“Please daddy?” Ava looked at Loki.

“My darling I have nothing here for you,” Loki said.

“Nonsense,” Tony said. “Stay, and we can order in for dinner, I am starved. Besides do you trust yourself to tele-”

Before he could finish that statement Loki and Ava vanished, leaving Thor with two glasses in his hands. 


	7. Day: 94

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Speaking of the threat to Jarvis, what are we going to do about Pierce?" 
> 
> Coulson smiled his own, calm smile at her. "I have a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: For some reason the days of the week switched on me, and I messed up >.> oops, day 94 is a Wednesday, not a Tuesday, editing this error

Day 94

The room was sparsely lit, flames flickering from candles floating above them and lanterns from the stone walls. The table in the center had a depiction of a red skull with six octopus limbs sprout from the bottom. The room looked more like a medieval dungeon than an actual place for meetings. It was dark, slightly on the cooler side and the men and women around the table had each their own flare.

There was a man in a black face mask sitting there, his leather outfit had long leather straps falling from his shoulders. There was a man next to him, larger than normal wearing a white suit, he was bald and had a cigar between his meaty fingers. There was a man next to him with a blind fold over his eyes, long black hair that was in a single braid over his shoulder, he was in a deep red purple suit. Then there was a woman in dark green dress and long black hair, she was leaning back rubbing her thumb across her fingers. Next to her was a robot with a man’s face in the center chest. Then there was a man in white and red with a red mask over his eyes, his hair was done up in a Chinese knot. There was a man with dirty brown hair, glasses and a gray suit was standing off to the side on a phone.

She walked to the table and sat down. The man hung up the phone and turned towards the table and sat down. The woman folded her fingers together and lay them on the table.

“We seem to have a problem,” said the woman. “Someone is aware of our agents in Shield.”

“That sounds like a problem indeed,” said the man in the blind fold with a slight smirk.

“Before you start pointing fingers Gorgon, perhaps you will _enlighten_ us as to your progress with the mutants?” she lifted a brow at him. The man leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I see.”

“We no longer have agents on the helicarrier, or many of Shields main facilities,” she said. “I will work to send more back. Pierce?”

The man in the gray suit looked at the woman. “I have good information that Loki has been moved to Stark Tower for the time being.”

The man nodded and turned to the man in red and white. “And the Hand?”

He tilted his head. “We will send assassins in if that is your request Madam.”

She hummed lightly and gave the man a smile. “Send some with Pierce, remember we want Loki to believe we are there to help him, if we can manipulate him, then he can work for us rather than Fury.”

“What does this Loki have to offer us?” asked the man in the black mask.

“Access to the Chitauri and one more of the infinity stones if I am not mistaken,” she said, “that would give us two.” She smirked. “He also has powerful magics that Doom confirmed, many more abilities than what he used during the invasion. I remind you that he is an asset, and to treat him with respect. We don’t want him against us.”

“I will be very respectful.” Pierce responded. “Perhaps the Hand or someone else can create a distraction?”

“Viper?” the woman looked to the other woman dressed in green, she looked at Madam Hydra and nodded her head.

“I will coordinate with Pierce,” Viper replied.

“I don’t believe I need say more, you are all dismissed,” the woman said and watched one by one the members of Hydra elite stood and left the room. She sat there a bit longer and leaned back in the chair her arms folded over her chest. She let her illusion fall, blond hair fell over her shoulders as her green and gold leather dress hugged her body and she looked at the creature that became visible.

“Soon, Skurge, the Lovely Loki will be set free to cause his destruction and his chaos, oh it will be so lovely...” she reached up and rubbed a hand along Skurge’s face.

\----

Loki was sitting at the desk looking at the weapon he was taking apart carefully. A clear crystal lay to the side, he didn’t bother looking up when Skye entered the office, she pulled up a chair to the desk and looked at the crystal.

She picked it up and looked at it. “What’s this?”

“Something I need to speak with Thor about,” Loki responded and then looked up at her from his work on taking apart the weapon himself. He had a set of small tools laid out around him, and sketches of the whole and parts and where they went.

“You know Fitz has most of these notes,” Skye said and sat the crystal down. Loki hummed as he kept working. “Are you okay about yesterday?”

“It was a lot of weave work, I will need to be more cautious of the time in the future,” he said. “Coulson sent me a message this morning, he wants me to make a report on the spell ribbons around Stark, and,” his hands paused and there was a frown on his face. “Pierce will be arriving in a few days.”

“That’s not good,” Skye said and watched him take off a part of the gun and pick up a pen and started to sketch it. “They have a gym here, if you wanted to continue the training,” Skye said off handedly hopeful eyes watching Loki.

“Before lunch I believe would be a good time,” Loki replied and she smiled happily, he made notes next to his sketch and continued to take apart the gun, slowly looking over each piece drawing it and wrote notes. There was comfortable silence between them as Skye pulled out her laptop and started typing and looking at things on her end, she had a corner of the desk to do that.

They worked for a couple of hours before a knock came to the door and Skye stopped typing and looked at the door. Loki hummed, “enter,” he called out as he was unscrewing a smaller part of the weapon. The door opened and Tony stood there.

“Hey,” he said and lifted his hand in greeting. “Nat and Clint came back,” he informed them walking into the room heading towards the desk and looking at the tools. “You actually know how to,” he waved his hand at the parts, “deconstruct human created things?”

“I am not an idiot Stark,” Loki answered and sat his tools down and opened the smaller bit and frowned as he dumped the grains on the counter.

“Sand?” Tony asked and Skye looked over too.

“No,” Loki said looking at the grains on the desk. “Well this makes things interesting,” he said and leaned back in the chair, “and very deadly..”

“What is it?” Skye asked and Loki shook his head at her, “you don’t know?” she looked confused.

“Oh I know, I know this stuff well,” he answered. “But its information not for mortals.”

“Hey,” both Tony and Skye said at nearly the same time.

“Facts and truths,” Loki said, and he waved a hand over it as Tony was opening his mouth. “And its best kept that way, wouldn’t want you to declare to the universe that you are ready for galactic travel and war would you?”

Tony crossed his arms. “You know, I never much cared for secrets.”

“No? Them perhaps you should en masse your Iron Man armor blue prints to the general populace? Or how about the governments?”

“Okay I concede Bambi,” Tony held up his hands at Loki in a surrender or placating manner, Loki smirked and laced his fingers together to rest on his stomach as he watched the engineer. “Wasn’t coming in here for that anyway, mostly to let you know Nat and Clint were back and if you were going to disenchant me more? I like the new look, its less Rock of Ages, and more,” he looked at Loki’s casual slacks with dress socks and black shoes to his dark green sweater with a cream colored under shirt, “tennis player esk?”

Loki tilted his head. “That is a sport if I am not mistaken, where you hit a ball across a net.”

“That can also describe volley ball,” Skye muttered and looked at her laptop. Her hands paused over the keys and then looked up at Loki. “You don’t strike me as a sports player.”

“No, that would be more Thor, he was always more physically apt than I was,” Loki responded easily, Skye nodded and then groaned, Loki lifted a brow at her. “Problems dear?”

“Yeah, this system is...” she looked at him, “Its blocking me at every turn.”

Tony watched as Loki’s face smooth to fond amusement at Skye’s turmoil, and then smooth back over in his mask of indifference when he saw Tony shift from the corner of his eye. “What seems to be the issue?” Tony asked Skye.

“I don’t know, I am silenced, I know I am I checked with Shield, and I am using my own programs for the encoded passwords, but its just...” she waved one hand at the computer, “like when I even start to get close everything changes. New Passwords, new coding, new networks, it all resets and I am not fast enough to get around it.” Tony walked over and leaned over her shoulder looking at the screen.

“Hydra?” Tony asked.

“Yeah,” Skye said and flopped herself against the back of her chair and crossed her arms.

Tony nodded once and looked at Loki, he placed a hand on Skye’s shoulder. “We can have Jarvis try a go or two at it later,” he said and from the corner of his eye he watched Loki’s brow lift slightly and a corner barely twitch. If he hadn’t been paying attention he would have missed it. Tony would count that as a win for now a reaction that wasn’t pure unimpressed or disinterest in the puny mortal, or forced politeness due to business. “I was also wondering if you had plans for Lunch? I know Loki missed yesterday-”

“We do,” Loki answered again politely and with his unassuming mask back on.

“Yeah its kinda a Wednesday tradition if we’re not in the middle of a mission.”

“The whole gang?” Tony was curious.

“Yeah,” Skye replied easily.

“Why Wednesday?”

“There is this place in Texas that Loki likes that has a special on lunch.”

“Texas?” Tony looked at Loki, and the god hummed in confirmation. “How... that far?”

“I can teleport to Alfheim Stark, Texas is a mere step,” Loki had the smirk of self-satisfaction.

“That’s cool,” Tony said and reached over and poked at Loki’s arm. “So you can magic yourself anywhere? Anytime? Can I learn? Strange said I couldn’t, said I didn’t have the aura to learn magic.”  
Loki looked at him from where Tony poked him and there was a frown on his face, and his brows angled down in thought and perhaps disbelief.

“That’s not true,” Skye said and Tony turned his attention to her. “There is sei- magic in everything, and just like a muscle you have to train it, and use it for it to get stronger. There is a core of magic in all living things that can be tapped into.”

“And where did you learn that?” Tony asked. Skye looked at Loki.

“He’s teaching me, Fitz and Simmons declined his offer, May comes in every so often and Coulson just watches us. I can’t do much, but I can make light for all of fifteen minutes or so,” she said. “We’ve been training for about a year now?”

“About, yes,” Loki responded sounding only half there.

“Bambi you oaky?” Tony asked.

“I am just amazed at how another mortal wishes me to show them magic, when most of all the ... when I was frowned upon for learning a womanly art.” he corrected himself. “It is taking me a moment to process such things.”

There was another knock on the open door and Steve was standing there.

“Making sure everything was alright,” he said and looked at Tony. “you okay Tony?”

Loki took that time to stand up and smooth out his shirt. Tony watched him as he looked at his watch. “We missed our chance to spar,” he said speaking to Skye as she stood up. She took out her phone and pressed it to her ear.

“Its okay, lunch then?” Skye asked and Loki nodded.

“Are you-” he started.

“Fitz, everyone ready?” Skye said and looked apologetic at Steve. “Great, ok, on your g-”

And Loki and Skye were gone.

Steve walked into the room carefully. “Are you hurt?”

“No, fit as a fiddle, or as fit as one can be,” he said and tapped the arc reactor. Tony sat down in the chair Loki was sitting in and looked at the sketches and notes, all conveniently in English. “Fuck.”

“Language,” Steve said and walked over looking at the disassembled weapon. “What is it?”

“He knows we.. I have been keeping an eye on him,” he said and handed the pages to Steve. Steve looked at them and shook his head.

“What?” Steve asked and Tony took them back and laid them over top each other and pressed them down.

The image was of the gun that Loki had taken apart, all the bits and pieces overlaying to make the complete image and scrawled in elegant writing was.

_‘To begin is to never had started. To win is to have begun and succeeded. To loose is to have begun and failed. Win or loose, at least you started.’_

Steve shook his head. “What does that mean?” he asked Tony.

“It means he knows we have been in here snooping, and going through things in the very least...”

“We should ask Thor what he knows of Loki’s puzzle.” Steve said. “Lets hope he can be out of the tower soon? I still don’t trust him.”

Tony hummed and swiveled in the chair a bit as Steve left the room. He brought his hands up and rubbed his face. “I need more than 94 days for this crap. Why couldn’t you give me like five years or something?” he groaned and turned in the chair. “Pep is going to kill me.”

\---

Loki sat at their usual table with a smirk on his lips and Simmons poked his shoulder. 

"I know that look," she said with a grin of her own. "What did you do?" she asked. 

"Gave Stark something to think about," Loki replied easily and took a drink from his lemonade and took a chip and salsa and plopped it into his mouth with a self pleased look. 

"You mean you played him?" Fitz said and looked around the table and took some of the quaso. 

"Nothing dangerous," Loki placed a hand on his chest. "What is the Midgardian idiom? Scouts honor?"

"Not an idiom," Coulson said, "pass the chips please." Loki handed the basket to Fitz who sat it down between him and Coulson. "We actually have a thing called scouts honor, its more of a sarcastic phrase used by non-scouts to mock."

"And scouts would be a wide term meaning anyone that displayed over excessive amounts of goodness." Skye added. 

"I see," Loki replied. "In truth it is nothing bad, just some meaningless words... well meaningless in this context, on some paper to make it sound like a hidden message. I will have amusement if he holds in his curious nature for the week."

"So he has been keeping an eye on you?" Fitz said and passed the bowl of chips back to Loki and Simmons. 

"His creation, which is a marvelous bit of engineering," Loki said. 

"But not impenetrable?" Coulson asked looking between Loki and Skye. 

"His coding is tight," Skye said. "I have been trying to hack him and the hydra base the last few days. He closes me out almost as soon as the Hydra one," she said and then smiled as their food arrived. 

"Do they know?" May asked. 

"I don't think so, they haven't said anything at least."

"The core of the creation however," Loki took his plate of three tacos and a sizzling skillet, Simmons had a plate covered in cheese, bean and rice, and Fitz had tacos and nachos. Coulson kept his simple with a just tacos, May had a skillet much like Loki's and Skye had a enchilada and taco. "If someone knew where to strike, the tower and the creation would crumble."

"Anything that can be stolen?" May asked as she started to dig into her meal. 

Loki nodded around a mouthful and placed his hand in front of his mouth. 

"Likely the main body," Fitz said, "like the processing power or something."

"It likely wont take all of the creation, but enough of it to cripple the man for a day or two, perhaps longer."

"Can you safe guard it?" Coulson asked. 

"I can put up protections and wards where I _think_ it is."

"You didn't magic yourself in yet?" Simmons asked looking at him as if she couldn't believe she was hearing this. 

"Not yet, Stark has kept it safe for this long-"

"Yes but we know Hydra wants Jarvis for something." May spoke and looked at Loki from down the table. 

"We really need to start sitting at a round table," Skye said as she put a forkful of food into her mouth. "Speaking of the threat to Jarvis, what are we going to do about Pierce?" 

Coulson smiled his own, calm smile at her. "I have a plan."

\---

Loki and Skye returned to the tower and she plopped down on the couch. "I am so stuffed," she said and placed a hand over her stomach. "So what's the plan now?"

"I tend to the enchantments around Stark," he said with a small smile to her. He turned and walked out to the communal area. "Jarvis," Loki asked and Steve and Bruce turned to watch him. "Can you call for Stark please? I have spell work to do."

"I apologize mister Trickson, but mister Stark is out," Jarvis responded. 

Loki frowned at this news. "Very well, is my brother about?"

"He's with Nat," Clint said from the kitchen. "They went out to an early movie." He walked out and leaned on the counter and crossed his arms. 

"I see." Loki looked at him and then to Bruce and Steve. "Well that is rather unfortunate." He turned to leave however Steve was standing to block his way. "Captain do you need assistance?"

"Why earth?" he asked. Skye was in the hallway watching. Bruce shook his head at this with a soft sigh. 

"Steve," the man tried but Rogers lifted a hand to hush him. 

"No I want to know why you chose earth as your home. When you have what? seven other realms plus a universe of planets out there? Why be a threat... a sleeping threat, but a threat nonetheless," Steve said. 

"I need not explain my actions to you Captain," Loki replied icily standing at his full height which was just a tad taller than Steve. 

"There is that 'I am better than you' look," Clint said. "What did you borrow the girl from someone to pull at our heart strings? Because I tell ya, you almost had me with that one."

Loki's green eyes were dark with poisonous anger as he slid them from Steve to Clint. "Take care with what you say Hawk, I can get to your nest far faster than you can get to mine..."

"Did you threaten my family?" Clint pushed away from the counter. 

"No, merely stated a fact, I would never threaten your family Hawk, that would be moot," Loki said and then his eyes went back to the Captain. "And if it will easy your troubled nerves Captain, I didn't choose Midgard, my brother did, at the time I was not in a real position to argue."

"Why?"

Loki tapped his fingers over his lips and looked at Steve. "Unforeseen events happened while Odin was taking his time with my trial he knew he couldn't win, so he kept me locked away in the depths of Asgard, seidr chains and all, for seven months..." Loki looked at him his green eyes showing no mirth. "So, once the trial was over, I went to Thor, dropped my glamour, and he brought me here to Midgard. He set up the meeting with Fury, we talked a while, but we all came to agreements. I have no qualms about my situation Captain," he held out his hands to his sides. "I walk among you casually, I am not prepared for a fight or battle with you."

"But that can change." Steve said his blue eyes looking directly at Loki. 

"Simply yes, all things change Captain," Loki replied. "Now since neither one of my intended interactions are here, I shall take my leave of you and go back to work on my other project. Unless, you have more to say?"

Steve's jaw clenched and he shook his head. Clint just scoffed and headed back into the kitchen. "If I think of anything-"

"I will be here Monday through Friday from eight thirty in the morning til four in the afternoon, having about an hour lunch at some point during the day, excluding holidays and school cancellation days," he said with a wide fake friendly smile. "So you know where to find me."

"And when you're not here?" Steve asked. 

"Frankly Captain, that's none of your business." Loki then teleported behind him and walked down the hall to the office. 


	8. Day: 93,92

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stepping over Steve, Loki reached down and grabbed Barton by the throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, life was a bit hectic there, I will likely go on break again towards Thanksgiving, and again in December nearer Christmas.

Day 93

Thursday proved to be an unproductive day with Tony and Thor. Tony having business meetings and paperwork he needed to do for Pepper, and Thor needing to go back to Asgard when the warriors three came to retrieve him. The avengers and the Asgardians were in the communal sitting room. Loki had his arms crossed as they told the mortals of their heroic battles as of late. They completely ignored Loki, well all but Fandral who kept glaring angrily at Loki as the trickster leaned on the wall.

Thor walked over to Loki and placed a hand on his arm.

“You will be well with me gone?” Thor asked.

“I am sure I will manage Thor,” Loki said and Thor leaned down and placed his forehead against Loki’s. “Be polite to elves, they distaste disrespect, never call an elf by his name unless granted permission, and above all else Thor, do not ask questions...” Loki said to him.

“I remember brother worry not, this is a diplomatic mission,” Thor said.

“Yes and that is my cause of worry,” Loki looked at him as Thor clasped both his arms. “I shall be back on Sunday,” Thor told him.

Loki nodded. “If you are not I shall come and rescue you.”

Thor grinned at him and then turned away and picked up his bag. “Friends, to Niflheim!” he said boisterously.

Loki watched him leave the realm and then he walked back into the office he was working from with Skye. She plopped down on the couch and looked at Loki. “You wanted to go didn’t you?” she asked.

“I am more aware of the ice elfin customs and a much better diplomat than Thor is, however since I am no longer of Asgard I have no business in being her diplomat.” Loki said and sat down at the desk and then started to fill out paper work himself for Coulson.

“Have any ice elfy friends?” Skye inquired as she took up her laptop.

“I have allies in Niflheim, as well as some other realms and planets, why are you curious?” Loki replied.

“That’s it, just curious, wondering if we’ll have to manage without you, at all.”

“Isnt that ominous?” Loki chuckled and shook his head. “I wish Thor would have waited around, but the call of Asgard must be answered.”

Skye looked up his voice had sounded wistful however she could see he was looking at the powder in a small container. “What is it?” she asked instead of if he was okay, she knew Loki liked to pretend he didn’t care as much as he actually does.

Loki looked to her and leaned back studying her for a moment. “Its powder from the broken bifrost.” he said to her.

She got up from the couch and made her way over to look at it. “Isn’t that the thing that takes you back to Asgard and then to any of the other eight realms?” At his nod she made a whoa, and leaned down on the desk to get a better look. “Why is it in the gun?”

Loki hummed and then the container vanished. “I am more concerned with how Hydra got their hands on Asgard technology.” Skye looked at him, he lifted a brow back at her. “Without something powering the guns they are effectively useless.” he explained and held up the crystal to her. “This is a seidr crystal, it can store seidr.”

“Magic guns?” she frowned. “That sounds like its straight out of a fan service story,” Skye said.

Loki giving his soft smile waits for her to focus back on him. “Even so, magic in the wrong hands can be devastating, and not everyone can use the crystals, only those taught by one exclusive mages in the fey woods of Alfheim know the true use to these.”

She looked up at him. “So...”

“These are not completely pure either, so they were likely stolen,” he made the crystal vanish and he lifted a brow at her.

“So Hydra has a mage person that can get to Alfheim and steal crystals that are only used by Fey and those that they fey taught to put in guns to be used in combination with Bifrost powder.... wow do you know how much that sounds like you?” at him frown and glare she held up her hands. “No, no, no, not like that, what I mean is, if this gets out to Shield agents or to the Avengers, the path they will take..”

“Is to me, yes I am aware.”

“Couple that with your disappearance on the weekends... its a good sell...” Skye walked back to the couch and sat down. At his frowning thoughtful face she gave him a smile of her own. “You know, Coulson’s team has your back, as well as Fury.”

Loki hummed lightly, however with what he was seeing, and his knowledge on the things that were had, he wasn’t sure how long that alliance would last should they also wish to believe this breadcrumb trail someone was leaving, pointing the proverbial finger at him.

Day 92

This time when he arrived in the office space in the tower Natasha was sitting at the desk, leaning back in his chair as she bit into some toast, Skye was at the corner of the desk eating breakfast of her own. The Avengers had taken to her easily enough. He looked at her and then sat his bag down beside the table.

“What’s that?” Natasha asked.

“My lunch agent Romanov,” Loki answered tightly. She stood up and stepped over to him and looked him in the face.

“You are... unreadable,” she said slowly her eyes scanning over Loki’s features.

“My, my agent Romanov, did you really think I didn’t allow you to come to a conclusion I wanted you to come to? I am centuries of years old, what is a woman of seven decades going to accomplish?” She made a face of chewing on her tongue at him. He smiled at her. “I understand what my brother sees in you agent Romanov, you’re a fine woman and warrior and you have skill. But you have a long way to go if you want to puzzle me out.”

“You knew?” she asked.

“About you and Thor?” he asked and walked around her to the desk and pulled out a spell book. “He told me about two years ago, just after you started dating. I helped him pick out a dress for you for the Avenger’s charity event. The red one.”

She nodded her understanding and then looked at him. “He says that you are different, healing,” she said. Skye made busy work on her breakfast.

“Healing would have been a good word for it at the time,” he agreed. “Now, why are you here?”

She crossed her arms just to have something to do with them and she looked at him straight. “I am here to offer friendship, I want to trust Thor...”

“But your instincts and your Hawk are warring against what you want,” he said and she nodded her head.

“Luckily Agent Romanov, you need not offer me anything just because Thor loves you and offered you the apple....” he said he leaned down just slightly to look at her eyes. “I committed crime against Asgard, not for you, or for you to extend an offered hand of platitudinal friendship.” Her measuring look faltered into shameful regret for just a couple of seconds before her mask was slipped back on. “We both know you aren’t sincere in this offer.”

“Then why-”

He straightened let out a sigh, “and here I thought you smarter than that Agent Romanov,” he chided. “I did it for Thor, as much as he is an oaf and brawn headed most of the times, he’s still my brother. There are precious few in this universe that I would do anything for with no questions asked.”

Natasha went to the door and placed her hand on the handle. “How did you know I wasn’t being sincere?” she asked.

“I know the look of falsehood too well when offered friendship agent Romanov,” Loki replied.

“How many times have you seen it?” She was still facing the door.

He looked up from his spell book and gave the back of Natasha’s head a measured look before answering. “378,140 days on countless faces.” Natasha was standing still and then after a few minutes she turned her head slightly to look at him.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered and then left the room. Loki watched her go and then went back to the spell book and stood there for a few minutes reading. He ignored Skye’s look and then closed the book and headed out to do his work on Stark.

Stark was in the common room standing in the kitchen when Loki walked out.

“Hey there Bambi, any plans this weekend?” he asked as he finished his coffee. Bruce was sitting at the table looking over a newspaper.

Loki stopped short and blinked at Stark. “Why?” he asked cautiously.

“Well I thought you and Ava-”

“You thought wrong Stark,” Loki said and looked at him. “I am here for a job, not to become friends.” There was a poke at his ribs and Loki looked at Skye.

“Be nice,” she said and walked to the kitchen to put her plate in the sink.

“Yeah Bambi, be nice, its a Halloween thing,” Stark said. “We’re decorating and stuff.”

Loki’s jaw clinched. “I decline.”

“Awe, but it’ll be super fun and stuff. And I invited her whole class al-” Loki narrowed his eyes at Stark, “-ready and it would be nice to see the baby deer agi-” Stark frowned at Loki’s look. “What? You have to go now right?”

“No I don’t Stark, and I already declined.”

“But she loves us...” Tony almost whined.

“She does, yes,” Loki responded with a tilt of his head. “And you put me in a bad position with her because now she will mope all weekend again.”

“But I did this for her...” Tony looked at Loki strangely.

“Perhaps you should have asked first,” Loki replied. “Now come sit on the chair so I can start unweaving the enchantments.”

“Not until you give me a valid reason why she can’t come to the decorating party,” Tony said.

Loki smirked and stood there as Steve and Clint entered the floor.

“Its your curse Stark, and by the runes you only have 92 days, how much of that time are you willing to waist on this?” Loki asked.

Stark stared back and mentally kicked himself. Right he only had so long before this curse took his life. But what was he suppose to do now.... Well Tony was never one to back down. “One reason Reindeer Games, that’s all I asked for.”

“I am her parent...”

“What about her mom what if we ask her?” Tony reasoned.

Loki kept a neutral expression. “The other parent is dead, I am the only one.”

“Did you kill her?” Steve asked.

“Would it matter?” Loki questioned. “If I tell a truth or a lie either would be believed a lie to you.”

Steve crossed his arms. “You’re the same Loki aren’t you them from the invasion? Perhaps we shouldn’t trust you...”

“Likely mind controlled everyone,” Clint muttered.

“Odin had the other executed,” Natasha said as she came in from behind them.

Steve and Clint blinked at this and then a look on confusion crossed Steve’s face. “Why?” Natasha shrugged.

“That’s all Thor told me when I asked where his niece’s other parent was.”

Loki watched her and then looked at Stark. “So shall we start then?”

Tony moved over to the chair and this time Loki sat on the floor and the spell work started. Green ribbons of runes, many of them bound tightly in knots hovered in the air around him, and he started the slow process of unraveling each rune, each thread. It was like trying to untangle a sewing box of loose thread a toddler got into and shook up. If he pulled the wrong one others tightened. He could see the foundation... and he could see the conditional... he saw it last time too, and seeing it again made him ache all over again. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to unravel it all in time, Stark knew too...

\----

Hours past and he opened his eyes when Skye walked into his sense sphere and he looked at her the magic fading slowly. She had a frown on her face. “Pierce is on his way,” she said, “he’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

Nodding he let the magic fade and he stood up, wobbled a moment, and then vanished, a minute later Agents May and Fitz were with him.

Bruce was at his side with some sugar water. “Thank you,” Loki said and drank it quickly.

“Hey you’re helping one of my friends, least I can do.” the doctor said and took the glass back. May was informing the Avengers of what to do while Fitz handed Loki small cameras and microphones.  
Loki was sitting in the office looking over his spell books, May standing by the door watching him. And just a few minutes later than twenty minutes Steve opened the door and let Pierce inside. Loki looked up at the older man with dark blond hair and dark eyes, he was wearing a suit and he nodded to May.

“You can leave us,” he said to her.

She nodded, “I will post guard outside the door,” she informed and left the room closing the door behind her.

Loki watched the man unbutton his jacket, lock the door, and take out a hand sized black box and placed it against the door. A moment passed before a knock came to the door.

“Sir you okay Jarvis said he can no longer view inside the room.” May said.

“Everything is fine Agent May, Shield business not Stark’s,” Pierce responded and walked to the desk as Loki closed the book and watched him. The man stood there with a frown for a bit, and then he smiled. “Loki.”

“Councilmen, what do I -”

“Lets cut the act,” Pierce said and sat down. “I know you aren’t locked up on some Shield Bus, I know you aren’t under suggestion... Barton was rather informative,” the man said, but Loki remained to keep his neutral expression, and Pierce placed a phone down on the desk. “We want you to work for Hydra, I don’t know what shield offers you, but,” he tapped the phone and Loki looked at it, it was a video of his daughter at school through a scope. “That was reordered earlier today... we would like to keep her safe,” he watched Loki’s dark look and he smiled at him. “We have her already, its obvious Shield can’t keep her safe. Hydra can, and rest assured she is safe for now, and in our hands. Take the weekend to think about the offer,” he said and took the phone and stood up. “Oh and if they don’t hear from me, they will kill her. Have a good weekend Loki.” He said and walked to the door, took the box, unlocked it and walked out.

-

Loki sat there for several minutes, then he stood and calmly walked out of the room to the awaiting Avengers. Barton paled at once seeing him, and Steve moved to block him.

“Loki,” Steve started and lifted his hands to try and stop him.

Loki ignored him and calmly walked to the two men, and without sparing Steve a glace used a pulse of magic. It was a soundless thundering feeling of boom, that shook the room and the people inside it, sending any standing to their feet other than Loki. Stepping over Steve he reached down and grabbed Barton by the throat.

“Loki,” Fury looked at him after standing up. Fitz, May and Skye were all unaffected by the spell and watched silently. From where they had watched from the laptop. “We’ll find her.”

Loki ignored him, he held Barton dangling from the Hawk’s throat. The human gripped his wrist and fingers trying to give himself air to fill his lungs.

“Hey Bambi, can you calm down a bit?” Tony tried. Steve stood up shaking his head and then tried to punch Loki to get him to drop Barton. Steve’s hand met a magical shield and brought his hand back shaking it. “Come on now, he’s starting to look like a tomato,” Tony tried and eased his way closer. “Like the pirate said, we’ll find her.”

Loki then vanished with Barton in tow.

“Damn it,” Steve said and they all turned to the computer.

\--

Loki teleported to a forest of autumn reds, yellow and oranges, the trees had all their leaves, and the bark had a reddish hue to it, strange plants curled and twisted along the huge roots of the massive trees, and the sky was a dusty red orange. The stream near by him was clear and strange looking fish scattered at the sudden burst of magic.

Loki dropped Barton in the stream. The man turned over and coughed rubbing his throat. Loki hadn’t said a word. He stood there watching for a moment.

Barton wheezed and stood up. “I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have...” Barton said and Loki lifted a brow at him, his head tilted slightly. “But can’t you teleport to her?”

“Magic doesn’t work that way mortal,” said a gentle voice and Barton looked at a woman with dark olive skin, and white blue hair, her eyes were golden and almond shaped and she wore sheer fabric, loose except for around the waist where a leather belt held the fabric in place. She had long pointed and ridged ears, and she was pretty, if a bit strange looking. She walked up to Loki and her hands which had wickedly long sharp nails cupped his face and she brought his forehead to hers. “He would have to know of the location or guess randomly,” she said and then looked at Barton. “You have caused my _Arvei_ grief...” She studied Barton, “so much so he brought you here instead of killing you.”

“He cannot die,” Loki said, “as much as it pains me,” he whispered. The woman placed a hand on Loki’s arm.

“Hush child, I know,” she said, “you did well to bring him here rather than let your hurt and wrath take you over.” She spoke to him and then look to Barton.

“Ava,” Loki started and he was once again hushed by the woman.

“We will find her my _Arvei_,” she said and waved him off. “Leave the mortal to me, I will send word to Thor and Frey. You go back to midgard,” she told him and then her hand tightened on his arm. “Do not dismiss the gifts of the Three so easily, take what is offered by them, they do not offer without reason, and through time, your feelings may change.” She watched him as he glared at Barton. “If you punch him he will die.”

“I leave him in your care,” Loki said. “Best he stay out of my sight a while.”

With that he teleported again, leaving Barton in the ankle deep water looking at the woman.

\--

Arriving back, May and Skye reached for him first. “Where did you go the cameras blacked out.”

“Alfheim,” he answered and then turned to look at Fury and the Avengers. “And that is where Barton will stay for the time being, he is alive and in the Hearth Mother’s care.”

“Why did you take him there?” Fury asked.

“If I had not, I would have killed him, I though this a better alternative,” he answered easily. “My daughter?”

“I have agents on that now, including Agent Romanov,” Fury said. “You’re goal right now is to continue to work on the curse, and feed Hydra Bullshit.”

“You promised to keep her safe.”

“And I will,” Fury said. “I won’t let anything happen to her Loki, I swore to you then, and I do so now.”

Loki could only nod his head.

“You’re welcome to stay here,” Tony said.

“Tony I don’t think-” Steve started.

“My penthouse then,” Tony said and glared at Steve. “Once we found out about Loki there was a silence order, and Clint broke that order... Yeah I like Clint and all, but Loki said he was alive and in someone’s care.”

“We don’t know who that person is,” Steve said. “And do you really trust Loki?”

Tony studied Steve a moment. “Yeah, I do.”

This got the attention of a few people in the room, mainly Skye, May and Fitz. Loki didn’t care, he was scanning everywhere within 50 miles with his magic for Ava’s magical core. Everyone ignored the slow pulse of magic from him.


	9. Day: 92,91, 90

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve felt bad it was an innocent kid, but then he had to think, how innocent was she really if she was Loki’s kid?

Day 92 - Friday

Ava was confused, her papa never picked her up early from school unless she was sick, and that was only the one time when she got some mortal illness of red itchy bumps all over and had to say home from school for two whole weeks... that was last year in Misses Ryes Kindergarten class. Papa had been worried and called in Uncle Fury and Aunt Hill, they called it a Chicken Pox and they suggested sugar and salt baths and a itch relief cream. She hadn’t seen her papa so worried before, he’s always been so calm with gentle words... So she found it strange that he was there to pick her up before lunch... had something happened? Was she going to get the little red bumps again?

When she walked into the office and saw her second principal and her father she smiled, and then her smile faded when her father turned and looked at her.

That wasn’t her papa.

He hadn’t reached out with his seidr to hers, and his eyes didn’t hold that spark of magic in them, and the smile was wrong. She knew that people, most of the humans, didn’t understand seidr and magic, and shapeshifting, so it would be odd if she said that he wasnt her father, even if it was the truth.

“Come along Ava,” the fake papa said and held out his hand to her. Another thing her papa didn’t do, not unless she wanted to hold his hand, their seidr was normally connected so it wasn’t needed.   
“I need to go to my cubby,” Ava said. She had to get her Iron Bear.

The fake papa seemed to think about it and then looked to the second principal and smiled. “I am sure it can be held here until Monday.”

“But Iron Bear is in my cubby.” Her real papa would know she didn’t go anywhere without her Iron Bear, he had enchanted it.

“And I am sure it will be safe here,” the fake papa cooed gently.

Yep, not her real papa. Ava started to tear up. The fake papa scooped her up and held her and Ava felt like she was going to be sick. “I wan my Iron Bear!” she wailed.

“Just a moment mister Trickson, and I will retrieve it,” said the second Principal with a smile and then walked out. It only took the woman a couple of minutes before she came back with Ava’s avenger’s backpack and her Iron Bear. She grabbed the Iron Bear and kept it close. The fake Papa then walked out of the school and put her in a car, it was black and plain. Sitting inside there was a woman in green and the fake papa took off a mask that made him look different. No longer the face of her papa, then the car started moving.

“Ava daughter of Loki,” said the woman and then her eyes fell to the stuffed toy. She leaned forward and Ava held the bear closer to herself, but the woman didn’t care and she snatched the Iron Bear before looking at it and tossing it out the window.

Ava started to cry...And the woman cast a spell to put her to sleep.

When she woke up she was in a decorated princess room, nothing like her own room with the avengers, she didn’t even have her Iron Man blanket or her Hulk pillow... it was all pink and yellow. But most of all she didn’t have her Iron Bear. There were no windows and the toys were still in the boxes. Ava didn’t care. She moved to a corner of the room and drew her legs up. She wanted her papa... and her uncle Thor, and her uncle Fury and aunt Hill and her Iron Bear to keep her safe. Maybe she should have told the principal that the fake papa was a fake and wasnt her real papa... but that would have been confusing for the mortal woman. Maybe she should call to Heimdall... But that would let Odin know where she is, and that would make her papa angry and sad, because Odin would take her away from her papa. The only time she had met the man was a year longer ago, before she started school and that was only so she could be removed from Asgard as an Asgardian. Odin had called her a shame... It had made her papa furious, and sad. So she couldn’t call for him. She was scared.

\---

After an argument around the Avenger’s common rooms, which were Tony and Steve arguing about what to do with Loki and how Steve thought it was a bad idea that Tony allow him to say in or around the tower. Fury was getting a headache and he left to coordinate his search and recuse teams with Hill. May and Skye were sitting by Loki while the two men bickered at each other. Bruce and Natasha started to work on ordering dinner for everyone, and Bruce even came over to check on Loki. Who was still using his magic to scan around the city, widening his search to anywhere within a hundred miles of the tower.

A little less than an hour later the elevator doors opened and Pepper walked in holding a stuffed bear and walked over to Tony.

“Someone dropped this off at the front desk, the clerk brought it to me, she said when she asked the woman that dropped it off she said she didn’t know...” Pepper looked concerned. “Did you make this?”

Tony looked at the bear, so did Steve, it was a bit soggy, and dirty, and ran over, there was a defined crack in the arch reactor. Steve frowned at it and his eyes went to Loki.

“No Pep, Lokes did for Ava,” Tony said and took the dear and walked over to Loki. Tony leaned down and showed him the bear. “Is this what you’re searching for?” Tony asked. Loki blinked at it and then took it in his hands and gave a nod. The light thrum of pulsing magic died then. And Loki’s expression fell.

It didn’t take long after that for the shake of the bifrost and then Thor landing on the landing pad outside and walked in, he was in his full Asgardian armor.

“Where is the Hawk,” Thor asked a mask of rage on his face. Natasha went towards him, but Loki was quicker and the sound of the slap rang through out the room.

Thor looked at Loki and blinked.

“We were safe,” Loki whispered in rage barely controlled. “Nothing had happened for years... no one knew, and as soon as you invite your friends trouble happens...”

“Loki,” Thor breathed gently.

“It always happens Thor! You forget your friends and companions are NOT mine! Because of them Hydra has my daughter, if it isn’t Odin taking them away its someone else...” Loki hissed at him.

Thor ignored all the warnings of his brother’s shaking form and wrapped his arms around the smaller male, and Loki seemed to melt then, and he let out a choked sob into Thor’s armor.

“We will get her back brother, Hydra is only mortal men and women,” Thor whispered and placed his chin on Loki’s head. He looked at Natasha and she waited beside the couch. “Where is the Hawk?”

“Loki took him to someone called the Hearth Mother,” Steve said with a tight voice.

“Shield is also looking into it, Fury has people on it, and I have reached out to some of my contacts,” Natasha said. Thor gave a simple nod to everything.

“You need rest brother I can see seidr drain on your skin,” Thor said.

“I have a spare room in the penthouse,” Tony said.

Pepper watched them and then looked at Tony, the man was moving to the elevator and Thor let Loki go. The mage gripped the Iron Bear in his hands and walked with Tony.

Once the engineer and mage were gone, Steve turned to Thor.

“Who is the Hearth Mother?”

“She is fey, one of Loki’s oldest friends, and one that taught him his healing and nature magics,” Thor said. “She is also of the Elfin Court of Alfheim. He must have been very angry if he left Barton with her.”

“But not so angry to kill?” Natasha asked.

Thor considered her question. “Barton has a family, Loki saw them and he is not at war with Barton, if Barton hadn’t have had a family, I the archer would be dead. As it is, a few hours in the Fey’s care and he will wish he was dead.”

“Torture?” Natasha asked.

“No, the fey... believe in life over all else.”

“Then why don’t you like them?” Bruce asked.

“It is not all fey I dislike, but they are tricksters, pranksters, troublemakers and very territorial, they attack anyone that wonders into their lands that they are not friends with. It is the Hearth Mother’s son, Ryer that I do not like.”

“Will Barton be okay?” Steve asked.

“He will be fine, the Hearth Mother will be firm, but fair. It is Ryer that may not be so kind.”

“Can you get him back?” Steve asked.

“Not without Loki, the fey do not like me much and only put up with me because of Loki.” Thor looked to May and Fitz and then back to Steve and Bruce. “What are we doing on finding my niece?”

“I am working on getting into camera systems to figure out if I can map where they went with traffic cameras, but I don’t know what school or when she was taken so pouring through all the cameras is taking some time,” Skye said.

“I am looking through all the Hydra bases we haven’t attacked yet, but its taking time,” Coulson said through the second laptop. “I will be asking for my team back.”

“I can fly them to somewhere if you need?” Natasha said.

“Thank you. Upstate.” Coulson said. “May will help you.”

Fitz walked over to Thor, as Tony walked back in. “Will he be okay?” he sounded worried.

Thor looked at Tony, but answered Fitz. “My brother is strong.”

“Right but what about mentally?” That question earned him a glare from Thor. “Right... okay then.”

Tony stood at the kitchen counter and looked at them as someone brought in the ordered food. “Jarvis, assist Skye in locating who took Ava. Pepper can you handle tomorrow and close down any missing persons reports?” at her nod he continued, “what do we know about Hydra?”

Skye looked up. “Does Ava have magic? uh seidr?” she asked.

“Yes, she is Loki’s daughter, all of Loki’s children have seidr.” Thor replied.

“All of?” Tony and Steve asked but they were both ignored.

“Okay so... wait right there,” she left and went to the office and came back out with the powdered bifrost and the crystal. “This is-”

“Powdered bifrost,” Thor said with a frown and then looked at the crystal, “and a seidr crystal.” He looked at Skye. “Where did-”

“Hyrda is making them, they are weapons. Loki thinks that they will be fueled with the seidr crystals and use the powder as a reacting amplifier.” Skye informed them. “Could they use Ava’s seidr?”

“Most mages or sorcerers can control their seidr to not have it leak into crystals, an untrained child would not have that control, and nor do I,” he said and watched as the crystal started to change color. “But I am not strong in seidr, and I am unsure how much training Ava has had.”

“Did the Iron Bear help her with her seidr?” Pepper asked looking up from her Stark phone.

“Yes, it protected her, shielded her, and would animate if she was in danger.” Thor said. “Loki spelled it himself with the sole purpose of protecting Ava against attacks.”

\--

They ate in relative silence after that, after their lunch Natasha took May and Fitz to the Bus’ location somewhere upstate, and Thor, Bruce and Steve started working on plans to try and get Ava back and who could be behind Hydra. Pepper went back to work, and Tony was left to go back up stairs.

The sight that greeted him made him pause.

Loki was standing in the sitting area looking out the floor to ceiling windows with his hands clasped behind his back. He was in dark leather and wool pants, and a long green tunic with his black and green leather long sleeveless coat on. It was almost the same outfit as when he invaded, without the gold, and without the edge to it. It was softer.

“Hey Bambi, not planning on world domination are you?” Tony asked walking to the bar.

“At the moment no,” Loki replied. Tony noticed the Iron Bear at Loki’s feet, laying harmlessly against the mage’s leg and bare feet. “I am envisioning ripping apart the one that stolen from me however.”

Tony nodded as he poured two glasses of scotch. “Makes sense. Can you, find her?”

Loki watched him from the corner of his eye before looking back out. “I have shielded her from Heimdall, which means she is shielded from me and any mage or sorcerer looking for her as well. I had been searching for the magical core in Iron Bear, but it had been shattered. I could possibly tap into the lay lines of midgard, but again she is shielded, so that will also be fruitless.”

Tony walked over and offered the glass to him. Loki took it. “So your own spell is back firing.”

“None of this would have happened if Thor hadn’t been an idiot,” Loki muttered. “Or if Barton hadn’t opened his beak.”

“Thor mentioned you had other children...”

“Yes, what of it.”

“Where are they?” Tony asked.

“Hel is in Helheim, the realm of the dead, she was taken by Odin and Lady Death to rule over the dead. Navi and Nafri were both taken by Odin and hidden away on Niflheim and Alfheim respectfully, to hide them from the eyes of the Asgardian people when Sigyn fell in battle on Vanaheim.” Loki responded.

“He took them away from you?” Tony asked.

“I was the second son, what right have I to marry and have children of my own before my brother, the honored son, heir to the throne and golden prince?” Loki took a sip of the scotch. “He called Hel a disgrace, half fey half as- jotun...” he corrected himself. “Ryer was furious.”

“Not Abergoduna?” Tony asked completely butchering the name.

“Angrboda,” Loki supplied. “No, she’s a jotun noble, and we were good friends for a while. Nothing romantic, she was in love with an ice elf.”

Tony listened and he held his cup and looked out at New York’s skyline. “Did... you have Ava?” the question sounded odd in his mouth and he was slow and unsure with it.

“Does that disgust you Stark?” Loki’s question was like poison. Yeah Tony should have expected that.

“No,” he answered immediately. “Just trying to fill in all the blanks is all.” Then he thought more on it. “You were... during the months imprisoned?” he found he couldn’t say it. “How?”

“When one that gets their strength and defenses from seidr and to have it bound to be made weaker than the average asgardian guard, and then thrown into the traitor’s prison, what do you expect to happen? Its Asgard,” he said into his cup. “After the trial, Thor got me to midgard. Only after Ava was born did Thor tell Odin of the events. Odin cannot take her as she is registered as midgardian, and it was made official two years ago when we had her seidr and blood removed from asgard’s seidr, or Odinforce. I found out that Odin had the guard executed for his crime when Fandral tried to poison her when she was still in my arms.” Loki said. “We were safe here, Fury helped me along the way, he and Hill assisted Thor and Nila with the delivery... Norns... why am I telling you this?”

“Because I asked and I am listening?” Tony said and then let out a sigh rubbing the back of his head. “Loki, there is something I should tell you... but in the light of this situation, I don’t know how.” he looked at Loki and then he finished off his glass. “Its about the conditional to this curse.” Loki remained looking out the window and took a sip of the drink again. Tony looked at his glass and the cubes of ice melting. He really wasn’t sure how to tell Loki this. Loki for his part was just standing there waiting for Tony to speak, not looking at him, just there none the less. “You know it can wait until after we find Ava...” Tony said, and yes he was being a coward about this. How do you tell a concerned parent that he needs to fall in love with someone to help save the planet from a threat that is unknown? There really wasn’t a good way.

Tony spared Loki one last look as the man stood looking out the window, his hands clasped behind his back again and the glass on the bar, likely done by magic.

If Tony had to describe him, he would say, caged power and anger in a deadly animal. He was tense, but gave of the air of controlled anger and retribution.

Day 91

Saturday morning saw that Loki was still or renewed his vigil at the window, only this time it was in the Avenger’s common room. Tony, Bruce, Natasha and Thor were sitting at the table while Steve cooked. Skye was sitting against the window by Loki with her laptop on her lap. Today Loki was in more of his battle armament, thick black and green leather coating, tunic and leggings, his high boots and bracers. He stood at a neutral stance at the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out over the city. Skye was talking in soft whispers to him, if he spoke back, none of them knew.

Steve was making things tense, but would get a sad look when his eyes would stray to the Iron Bear that had taken its home on one of the stuffed chairs. Loki had fixed it the night before, and it sat alone, waiting for its young owner’s arms to wrap back around it.

They didn’t get a call to arms, and Loki didn’t attempt to unravel any more seidr ribbons or enchantments from Tony. Bruce and Thor offered the mage food, but he had declined them politely, but firmly.

The halloween decorations, which Pepper had included the kindergarten and second grade classes from five of the near by schools to help decorate the tower, and the near by shops was a big hit and boosted SI and the Avengers popularity, which they had made an appearance at for the kids.

It was good publicity, and the media ate it up.

Loki remained at the window. Until he went up stairs to sleep in the spare room.

Day 90

It had been ten days since he gotten this curse, and it was the second day an innocent girl was kidnapped and taken by Hydra because one of their own opened his mouth to the wrong person. Steve didn’t like Loki around the tower, but he was needed to cure Tony, and Iron Man was needed on the Avengers, even if Steve and Tony didn’t always see eye to eye. Tony had his way, which was okay sometimes, but mostly reckless, and Steve has his own way, which, he though was the better way.

So was he walked into the communal room again he saw Loki in his battle gear looking at the city as the sun rose. No one questioned the thrum of magic in the air, even tho Tony said Loki has shielded Ava and it was pointless to try and find her through magic. Steve walked into the kitchen and started the pot of coffee.

Steve felt bad it was an innocent kid, but then he had to think, how innocent was she really if she was Loki’s kid? All all he knew Loki took Ava out and slaughtered people on the weekends and that was why he was in his armor. He wouldn’t be surprised, it was Loki after all.

Steve watched him as he drank his morning cup of coffee. Next would be Bruce, Steve already had water on the stove for the man’s tea, and if yesterday was something to be counted on twice, Skye would be after Bruce, then Natasha and Thor, and finally Tony.

Steve wasn’t surprised he was right, he gave himself a mental pat on the back. Everything was right in the world when he was correct. It is as it should be.

He couldn’t help but notice the way Loki stood, neutral, feet shoulder width apart, back straight, hands clasped behind his back, and when he caught the expression every so often in the reflection of the windows... It made Steve feel guilt. Because he remembered what a grieving parent looked like, or when he saw them on the street, mothers and fathers concerned about a trapped child. His mind was warring with itself.

He decided to ignore it and go to the gym, to try and unremember, or unthink that expression.

Thor stood beside Loki today. Tony didn’t hide in his workshop and even didn paper work that Pepper asked him to do. Bruce sat at the table and worked on the newspaper crossword, and Natasha read. It was all very domestic.

It wasn’t until later that evening, that Loki shifted and his hands fell away from his back. The moment was sudden and it caught almost everyone’s attention.

“Did you find her?” Thor asked.

Loki didn’t respond, instead he took out his phone and clicked a button before bringing it to his ear. There was silence in the room while they watched, many of them straining to catch the voice on the other line. Loki didn’t say anything and then the grin that spread across his face was reminiscent of the invasion. He didn’t say anything at all to the caller and when the light of the phone died and he brought the phone away from his face the grin hadn’t left his face.


	10. Barton: Day 1, Fey Wilde, Alfheim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint Barton is stuck on Alfheim with some very strange creatures? People? and has a strange dream that night after a small panic attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An interlude to keep you all in suspense for the main story... these will be peppered around for a bit because I wanted to

When Loki vanished leaving him in the care of the Hearth Mother, he was one hundred percent sure he was going to be tortured a slow and very painful death. He was soaked from the stream water, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the woman that studied him like he was a slab on meat on the butchers table. It was unsettling.

And he couldn’t believe that Loki just left him on a strange planet to defend himself, without any weapons. That was just brilliant.

“You hold an anger deep within you for Loki,” she said finally, “your seidr core was awakened years ago, from the raw and hungry look of it, nearly seven.” Barton watched as she brought her hand up to her plump lips and ran her sharp nailed finger tips along the bottom lip. “You are a piece of work child.”

“I’m an adult,” he said sharply. Maybe he should hold his mouth shut around here.

All the woman did though was give him a gentle smile. “You have not earned the respect to be considered an adult,” she simply explained. “Your punishment shall be to partake of a memory tree in the glade,” she said, “when you sleep and dream you will relieve memories, I shall give you, three years,” she said.

“I cannot be away from earth or my family that long,” Barton countered.

The Hearth Mother waved her hand and dismissed the outcry. “Alfheim time is not the same as Midgardian time, and then the forest of the Fey Wilde is even more distorted. Three years here will be but a few weeks to your mortal time,” she said. “Our days and nights will feel much longer however, and when you return upon your mortal realm again you will need to adjust yourself again.”

Barton just stared at her, because what else was he suppose to do? Time altering realm and magical forest? He was in a freaking bad fairy tale, or he was dead, and Loki actually killed him and this was hell.

“Aside from your punishments at night, you will train that hungry core of yours, and practice your archery. Loki tells me you would benefit from the training.”

“Why is he helping me?” Barton asked. “I... accidentally had his daughter kidnapped by Hydra,” he was confused now.

“Because it was that, an accident, and you have a family to return to, make no mistake child, Loki is furious with you, and will likely remain so for a while. But if we’re being completely honest with ourselves, you are but an ant to a being like Loki, here merely for a short time before you are gone and turned to ash and dust.”

“Gee, way to make me feel special,” Barton muttered.

“You are not special, at least, not yet, you are but a child learning to crawl after the heels of its mother,” she lowered her hand from her lip. “You will be a mage, the core was in you since birth, so that title is apt, it was just dormant until the mind stone awoken it within you. You won’t be an Archmage, but if you live long enough you might obtain adept.”

“I can’t just leave can I?” Barton asked her.

“No, Loki is the only Mage I know powerful enough to skywalk between realms and planets without hindrance or the need of the bifrost, or other means. So when I have deemed your punishment fulfilled and your core adequately trained, I will then send you back to Midgard to be among your friends and family again,” she told him and went to turn around, “a word of caution child, this is a gift, it would be unwise of you to spit in the face of its giver once to get back to midgard. Had he been four hundred years younger, the outcome would have been much different.” she then tilted her head slightly. “Come, I will show you to the village and your new dwelling for the time being as well as to a armorer and weapon smith and clothier to get you properly attired. Then I shall introduce you to your instructor.” She started walking.

“You’re not teaching me?” Barton questioned.

“On, your core and mine have no elements in common,” she said. “You will train under Ryer. He is our best archer, and has Air, Fire and Light elements at his core, he is an adept at all three.”

“What do they do?” he climbed over a large limb that the Hearth Mother just seemed to glide over, the foliage just moved aside for her, unlike him who had to move around or climb over. It wasn’t so easy a task and they just started walking.

“They do as they describe, air element can control the air and winds, give speed to your feet and teleportation, fire is just that as well, a destructive but rejuvenating force, devastating in the hands of a powerful mage, and light bends and contorts the light around you, illusion magic, air and light can combine to make one invisible, there are many uses.”

He breathed heavily as he jumped down from another branch and he would have sworn she was putting them in his way on purpose now. “And what is at Loki’s core?” because he had to know what he was up against.

“Everything,” was her simple reply, “and he is an archemage in them all,” her tone took on a loving tone.

Right he was screwed then, even with magic... He ducked under low branches and moved around twisted roots and climbed up some others. It must have been hours before they reached the village.

And village was not a very good name for it, at all, more like tree city. It wasn’t as large as New York city, but it wasn’t anything to scoff at either. The trees in this glade were massive, much larger the red wood, and they were so thick, homes were set in and upon the trunk and branches. There were seven trees total from what he could see, six surrounding a larger one in the center. Stair cases and magical elevators went from the ground to the branches hundreds of feet up. Field lay on the outskirts, which is where the forest broke off rather suddenly. He saw people in the fields and he blinked at them. Some of them were more human looking than others with skin tones from a creamy olive to a chocolate brown, their hair color were all on the same pale blond white hues and he couldn’t see their eyes. But then there were some with feathered wings, they were armored it looked like carrying bows and flew around the forest line, they didn’t have talons or claws that he could see, and they were muted browns, tan, off white, even their hair. Then there were the reptile like people, or rather reptiles that stood on hind legs, using scythes to cut down weeds, or to harvest plants, and a few in armors. Barton knew he was openly staring as they walked closer to the trees. And the orchard caught his attention with mostly naked women whose skin looked like bark, and hair of leaves walked among the fruit trees. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to last here, it was all very strange, and very very new.

Once they got past the farming section of the village, it opened to a wide, and he guessed deep river with several bridges arching over it and fishing boats on the hundred or so foot wide river. Looking down over the bridge railing he saw that there were people in the water and a group of them popped up to the surface to look at him too. They had blue shimmering skin and it was shiny like small scales that when the light caught them they glittered in an array of color. They had strange ears that were pointed back, but had ridges getting smaller, it reminded him of a tang fish’s upper and lower fins only stiffer. And he saw that they didn’t have legs, but long serpent like tails that ended in betta like fins. They were rather pretty, even the males. He waved at them and they waved back, their hands webbed between the fingers, and then they smiled. They had sharp jagged teeth. He moved back to fall in line behind the Hearth Mother then.

They then stepped onto smooth stone roads after the bridge where before it was cobbled stone, and the village started to open up before them. Even more people with pointed ears and different skin color were walking about, more with wings, most muted browns, but the rest were brightly colored in blues, greens, purples, and reds. More of the lizard people walked about and now that he was close to a few they towered over him, they were at least eight feet tall, they wore pants and tunics and many of them were talking to stall men, or each other, or to the elves. He didn’t understand them but still. Then there were the furred folk, cats, dogs and bears humanoidish, the cats and dogs, the bears still looked like bears, and he thought he saw a rabbit too. He didn’t know where to put his eyes. The market wasn’t like anything he had seen either, open stalls and tent gazebos in a agglomeration of color and sizes. He then noticed he was being stared at as much as he was doing the staring.

The Hearth Mother chuckled lightly. “You are curious to everyone here, you are mortal, and you dress strangely. Come we shall attire you first, this way you will not stand out so much among my people.”

They walked to an actual building of wood and brick, inside were shelves of fabric and pre-made clothing piles. A man with sparkling blue and purple small scales and sharp pointed teeth and fin like ears and webbed hands greeted them with a bow.

He spoke, but Barton couldn’t understand him, it sounded like gurgling and wavy bubbly water.

“I need attire for the child here Silkin,” the Hearth Mother said. “Simple attire, he will be training with Ryer.” The fish-man made more noise and the Hearth Mother nodded. At least she understood what was being said. Meanwhile, Barton was more or less in shock with everything, and his arms and legs ached, he was also getting hungry, and tired. But those thoughts vanished from his mind when the fish-man walked to him and measured him briefly.

Barton watched as the man waved his hand over to an area with clothes and several outfits came flying over and they were adjusted magically. Then they magically folded themselves and placed themselves in a bag. The fish-man spoke some more.

“Thank you, and yes that would be appreciated,” she said and looked to Barton as the man handed him a set of clothing and motioned to a curtained area. Blinking Barton got the gist and went to change.

If he was honest it looked like something out of a medieval movie or what Thor and Loki wore. And he was surprised to note that the leather pants were soft like cotton, and the underwear was nice too, the tunic he also found was durable and soft much like cotton. The socks were wool however, but it wasn't itchy, and the boots felt much better on his feet.

The only problem with it all...

It was dark green and black. Which he knew were Loki’s colors. Walking out. “Did you put me in these colors or is this by chance?”

The Hearth Mother turned to face him. “I asked for them. You are here under the grace of Loki after all, it is only right you wear his colors,” she informed him.

He looked around.

“How are colors determined?” he walked to her and the fish-man handed him two bags and he followed the Hearth Mother out.

“Not everyone has colors, only noble families, Thor wears red and silver, but not just any red, the hue and depth of the red is what makes it his, and his father’s. You recognized Loki’s shade of green, though he can wear an array of greens or other colors, that hue and depth is his. Odin granted him his own colors when he became an Archmage, Odin hadn’t wanted to at first, however the nobles of Alfheim, Niflheim and Venaheim more or less ganged up on him until he relented and bestowed Loki his own colors.” She explained as they walked. “Once they are bestowed upon someone, everyone just knows.”

The armorer and weapons areas were not as exciting as the clothes shop. He was measured for his armor though, and was granted hide of a dragon that Loki had hunted some time ago. It would be light armor, for his archery. The weapon smith would make him a bow from a Viva Tree, what ever that was, and a set of daggers from the bones of the dragon Loki had hunted.

Then he had to ask.

“Was it a real dragon?” They were now walking towards the center tree, his weapons and armor would take a few days.

“Yes, a massive reptilian creature with a great wingspan that had been terrorizing the Fey settlements. I had sent a help request to Odin, and told him it was of at least old in origin. He sent Thor, the Warriors Three and Loki. Thor and the Warriors Three laughed about it, at least until they saw it,” she said and they stood on an elevator going up. “While the four warriors charged head first into battle and their weapons and meager spells bounced off the creature Loki watched, and that night while the four recovered from wounds Loki searched the old library in the capital palace. The next day, the four warriors threw themselves at the dragon again. After its battle Loki tracked it back to its lair. Then the following day when the warriors once again threw themselves at the beast, Loki laid traps in the beasts lair. We don’t know what happened, but the land shook after the dragon made its way back to its lair, and Loki returned in the dawn light with the massive creature dead.”

“I bet Thor was happy,” Barton said and they stepped off the elevator.

The Hearth Mother shook her head. “Thor was furious, and with the whispers of one of the three called Loki a cheater and the dragon wasn’t slain in honorable combat. That is when I laid into Thor about honorable combat. We haven’t gotten along well since.”

They were in the canopy of the central tree and she stopped at a door. “This will be your area, I had food brought to you, as well as a memory fruit for you to eat before you sleep. There is a bath and latrine, as well as a common area and a sleeping area for you. Ryer will fetch you in the morning for a better tour and for me to give your core Allspeak, without it, it will be a nightmare for you here.”

She watched him. “Do remember to eat the fruit child, if you do not, my punishment shall become harsher.”

“Right... what does-” he turned towards her but she was gone. Well, he walked inside the place that was his for the foreseeable future and then, had a small freak out.

He had no idea what he was going to do!

After a small panic attack he ate, including the fruit, put his clothes away, bathed and then crawled into the hammock leave vine, comfortable bed thing and slept.

His dreams were not his own. He was seeing through someone else eyes. He saw Thor, and the three men that had come to get him only younger. He saw a woman in a golden dress with a gentle smile on her face, and a man in armor holding a spear sitting on a throne. He watched as Thor didn’t behave as the Thor he knew. This Thor was encouraging the praise of the people in the room.

Holding up his hammer and spinning around in a flourish, winking and making kissing motions at women.

“We have done it father,” Thor said. “The fire elves of Muspelheim will no longer stand against us.” Thor said, and Barton could hardly believe what he was seeing and hearing. “Our army, lead by me, was victorious in our invasion of the slanderous elves.” There was cheering and a lot of clapping. Then Thor threw his hand towards him. “Loki, my brother, his tactics and battlement plans was what helped us win this war.”

War? What?

“You are too kind brother,” he found himself saying. “But your brilliant execution of such strategies always leave me breathless.”

Was he in the body of Loki?! What the hell was this dream...

He could do nothing but the motions and speak nothing but the words of Loki during this celebration of war. Slaughter was more like it from the tales that were being thrown about. It wasn’t the gory tales of victory that was churning his stomach. It was the looks from the people around him. He was a trained spy, and he knew the looks of mistrust behind the fake smiles of anyone that talked with him.

He woke to bird call well rested despite the strange dream.


	11. Barton: Grove Hearth, Fey Wilde; Alfheim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY!!!! Holidays are a killer! I will try an have another up before Christmas... this is also the last of Barton for a bit.

The bird song woke him, well rested, but as he lay there in the hammock plant bed thing he thought back. He remembered everything from the feel of the stile air, to the rough table, the taste of the mead, and the blandness of the food. To the feeling of being lacking and judged. But for what remained a mystery. He had interactions with the warriors three, a woman named Sif, someone other woman named Mother, and then Odin, or father and of course Thor. He felt, even now exasperated with the man. He had talked of his glorious battle, and the feats of strength he and his friends had done during the war... a war that Thor went and started himself as he had proclaimed. 

Barton blinked. No one questioned Thor, or asked why, he had simply gone, warred and came home with his men, and the people cheered. 

Placing his hands behind his head he started to swing lightly from side to side. Thor had said that Loki had been imprisoned for several months. Why? 

He didn’t really care, but it was strange. 

He was startled out of his thoughts by a bang on the door, he rolled off the hammock and went low. 

“Wake up mortal!” the voice yelled, growling almost. “The Hearth Mother wants to see you before your training starts. You will not keep her -” Barton had moved to the door while the voice spoke and opened the door to look at who was yelling at him. “waiting,” the man finished as almond shaped golden eyes glaring a heated hatred for Barton. What had he done to this guy?

The man had dark olive skin that had a golden hue to it. His hair was a long, silver gray, not from age, but natural if the guys eye brows were to be believed, and it was wrapped in a single braid down the man’s back to his waist. He had long pointed ears, so an elf, that much Barton knew. The man was tall, about five ten, to five eleven, about Barton’s own height. He was wearing a forest autumn colored armor, a deep brown leather chest plate over top brown orange tunic with deep green leaf threading. His upper arms had on leather bracing as well as his forearms with archer gloves and bracers. His pants were dark brown with green leaf threading and leather plating covering vital areas. His boots were knee high and had a softer sole to the look of them. He had a dagger on his belt and a quiver on his hip and a bow sheath. 

“Who are you?” Barton asked after the quick glace. 

The man turned a second after he finished his message. “The Hearth Mother is waiting, it is ill to make her do so,” he answered with something similar to his first statement. “Keep up mortal.” With that he started off. Barton took the moment to put his own boots on and and hop after the pissy elf. 

As they headed deeper into the tree he became lost in the branches and rows of houses and steps. He ran his fingers through his hair and when they passed through more open doors he saw the Hearth Mother. She was sitting in a throne of flowering plants that had an autumn hue, of oranges, reds and browns. 

Right she’s a queen or something. The elf stopped and then looked at him and motioned towards the woman. Barton walked up, and the elf followed. 

“I hope your sleep was well,” she greeted him. 

“Yeah except for the strange dream,” Barton answered. 

Her smile was off putting. “That is your punishment child, the memory fruits. You will have one each night until I deem your punishment complete,” she said, “I explained this yesterday. Today you will be given the Allspeak, and Ryer will start your training,” she motioned towards the elf. 

Barton looked at him too, and then back to the Hearth Mother. “He doesn’t seem to like me, you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It is said you will have bad luck if you question the Hearth Mother’s wise words,” said a woman walking in, she was in Loki’s colors in a style much like Loki’s himself, not what Barton, or even the elf wore. She stopped a short distance away. She was very beautiful too, dark nearly black hair with rust highlights when the light caught the long wavy tresses, and green eyes that glowed and reminded him of something. She had a full healthy waist and long legs, she was a little shorter than him. Her smile also reminded him of something, but it was pleasant and soft. Her skin as golden tan, a healthy glow about her. Darker than Natasha and a little thicker, but not by much. 

“Who are you?” Barton asked. 

She lifted a delicate eyebrow at him. “You are also very rude, but that is to be expected of mortals,” she said and then waved her hand dismissively at him. “You need not know who I am, just know I am here to grant you All Speak,” she informed him. 

“Right and what is that?” he asked weary. 

“It will allow you to understand all races of all the realms, ethereal, like Alfheim, or material like Earth and Mars,” she explained. “All this will be explained in your magical training.”

“Magical training?”

“You’re full of questions,” she placed a hand on her hip. “You have a hungry core that was awaken late. That is dangerous and its a surprise that you haven’t died because of it. So you will need to fix that. All Speak will help you communicate, not everyone is granted this ability. Be grateful you are.” 

The Hearth Mother motioned to the side where branches rose from the thicker branch they were standing on to form a comfortable looking lounge seat. The stranger walked over to it and sat down. She patted the area beside her for him.

“This will take a moment, come lay and rest your head here,” she said then patted her thigh. 

“Huh..”

“It will not hurt.”

“No but-”

“You are wasting time mortal,” Ryer warned. Barton walked over then and laid down placing his head on her thigh. The woman smiled down at him, kindly and placed a hand over his eyes. 

* * *

He saw blackness then, and a pull at the back of his head, almost like someone was pulling on a shirt that was on his head. He turned and saw nothing... blackness. Deep and dark, and it was almost like he would get lost in it, this void. The feeling of standing with nothing under his feet was strange, then he started to float. And he had no idea which way was up or down anymore. He blinked and saw the deep swirling, dark purple almost black stringy wisps of ribbons, balled tightly below him. The ribbons twisted and coiled like a mating ball of snakes with tendrils reaching for the darkness. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at, then voice sounded, the strange woman’s. 

“That is not what I will be working on,” she said softly, gentle soothing sound. “That is your core, I need your mind.”

“My what?” he asked and looked around. 

“Peace Hawk, I need to add the All Speak, and for that I need you to relax...” she was calm and he closed his eyes again. 

* * *

The next thing he knew he was opening his eyes and looking at the amused look on the stranger woman’s face. He blinked a couple of times and sat up. She helped him and then stood. “I leave him in your hands Ryer,” she said and walked to him, he leaned down and placed his forehead against hers. “My task is complete... I’ll see you around Little Hawk,” her plump lips them twisted into a mischievous smile and she vanished. 

“Was that Loki?” Barton asked rubbing his head. 

“No,” Ryer said and folded his arms glaring at him. “Though Loki can shift into a female, that was not he.”

“Then who-”

“It is rude for others to give the names of others, more so when they wish to remain nameless in someone’s presence,” the Hearth Mother said. “That is the end of that. Ryer, train him well and remember my words.”

Ryer bowed his head. “Yes Hearth Mother,” he said and waited. “Come.”

Barton grit his teeth as he stood up and followed the impatient asshole out of the room. 

They walked for a while and entered what looked like a dinning room. “You will want to eat light, eating will come after the training,” Ryer suggested. “Magic is demanding, and if you eat heavy before you will likely get sick.”

“Huh thanks I guess....” the elf was strange, Barton knew the guy hated him. He could tell at the body language of the elf, and the constant glares. It was far more open than the looks of his dream, but over all the same. Pushing that thought out of his mind he looked at the tables. Meats, roasted and braised, okay, some looked like chicken or a bird, and others looked like roast, though he didn’t see any cow around. Leafy greens made in a salad, okay, normal, and steamed, also normal... and other such foods that looked familiar, fruits, more vegetables. The bread and rolls caught his attention, one basket was filled with a dark green roll, he saw a couple of people eat it, so it wasn’t moldy, and there was something inside it. He reached for one and carefully bit into one. 

The bread itself was moist, and yeasty, and the sausage and cheese filling was good, the bread also had a nutty flavor. After he finished that one he reached for a normal warm brown colored roll and wasn’t disappointed when he bit into it and it filled his mouth with a thick brown sauce with meat, there was a nice heat to this one, and the bread was denser. Barton was always a sucker for good food, and this place was filled with new experiences in such things. 

He lamented at not being able to try the other foods, but he headed back to the asshole after two rolls. Keeping his stomach light. 

The elf lead him out of the dinning area and deeper into the tree, they went down some stairs, and down more stairs. There were doors inside the branches and the trunk, leading to homes Barton guessed. 

“The Hearth Tree has been here since the dawn of the first Hearth Mother millions of your midgardian years ago, it became the living space of the fey and fey like people and creatures, surviving and growing with the seidr of each resident of the Grove. That is how it’s able to survive even though we built our homes into the tree itself, and it continues to grow,” Ryer explained and finally stopped at a door, he opened it. Barton walked inside and it was... empty. It was also a small space, about ten feet long and ten wide, the ceiling was about 12 feet, almost double his height. 

“This is where we will practice on you reaching your core and feeding it, controlling it and start using it...” the elf said. “The walls are magicked to prevent your leakage or if any explosions happen.”

“Explosions?” Barton turned towards the elf as the man closed the door behind him. 

“Magic can sometimes go wayward, its best to be prepared,” Ryer replied and then motioned towards the floor. “We will start with meditating...”

* * *

That is how Barton spent his first year... or couple of days? He wasn't sure what time frame to use anymore. His dreams were memories of Loki, that he gathered after the third day of having them. Little moments in time, most of them were neutral. Training, living with Thor as a brother, and spending time with Frigga were among the more common dreams. But there were dreams too that made him awake in cold sweat. Dreams of battle, of fighting, and boy did the Asgardians fight viciously. Those vivid dreams of war, hunger and a burning cold made him ill. Then there were the dreams of friendship, and parenthood, those he could relate to better. 

The dreams were always through Loki’s eyes, with his feelings, words and actions flowing through him like a river, but during his waking hours he was unaffected by them. 

During the day was his own personal Hel. 

Ryer was strict, and always pushed him beyond his limits. The elfin asshole would sit calmly in front of him, show him out to do something. Like reach his core. Take him out and repeat the process a couple of times before he would withdraw completely and told him to do it! It wasn't easy going in and touching a hungry ball of mag- seidr. It burned, and bit at him. He would come out of meditations bleeding along his arms and hands and his nose. Ryer was unaffected by his conditions. And boy when he was finally able to grasp it easily and readily, Ryer started teaching him control. Which, by the way, was not what the books tell you in all those fairy tales. Controlling starving magic was indeed explosive, with a couple of times of him in the healing branch. The spells were fun, his core was air and something else Ryer couldn't teach him, saying he needed to learn that part himself. He learned to hover, and fall, and he broken a couple of bones from it. He learned flight, invisibly, shields, and air or wind attacks. He learned to surround his arrows in raw magic to give them extra punch, or air magic at the fetching to give them speed... Ryer had taught it all the same way. 

Looking back at it now, yeah Ryer was still an asshole, but he was patient and encouraging, a taskmaster sure, but he was always calm. 

Barton ran the towel over his face as he looked in the mirror. His hair was getting longer, and his facial hair was receding. It turned out Mages had a hard time growing most body hair and their magic seemed to burn it away, leaving easier access to adsorb the magic. He rolled his eyes at the mirror, “its sendir... seidr child, seidr the life force of the Yggdrasil hatchling, seidr is the foundation of the nine realms eternal and the material reams little Hawk...” he said to the mirror. Leaning on the sink he looked at himself closely. Light brown hair that was brushing just past the shoulders pulled back into a loose tail, and his blue eyes were brighter than they had been at first and tinted in a dark purple. Ryer had explained it was because of his core, it would leak into his eyes.

He looked at himself in the mirror every day, saw the small changes over time, but they were so that he just got use to them. 

He sometimes hated himself for feeling at home here, comfortable in the trees, and the strange people, and the training. It was peaceful here too, the only thing they had to worry about were the dark fey of the forest and the crazed beasts of the forest. Not super villains exploding parts of the world every week, or the common peoples rage when something wasn’t done the way they wanted it. The Hearth Mother was in charge of the Grove, everyone respected her and complied to her rules. No one complained that he was aware of or heard about. He had courtly lessons with the Hearth Mother, lessons in listening to problems and possible solutions, it was more aggravating when they were in the capital of the elves themselves. The ice elves of Niflheim were unhurried creatures and detested questions, which made talking with them hard. The forest elves of Alfeim were nice, they liked arts, music, dance, and expressive magic. They treasured knowledge and kept massive libraries. The jotun were also easy to get on with in court sessions, they were rather to the point, the ice jotun were slightly aggressive, and the fire jotun more so. 

That was a month ago he met the council away from Asgard. Who’d had thought no one liked a war mongering tyrant? He was learning quickly that Asgard was a place of warriors, and warriors needed war to feel useful. So they rage one against the other races of the realms when they think they are getting too powerful. 

“War is nothing more than a group of people saying, we don’t like what you’re doing, and then killing them, or that someone else is different from you and its bothersome,” Barton said to his reflection in the mirror pointing to himself. 

“You’ve gone mad,” Ryer said from the doorway. 

Barton jumped and looked at him. “How long have you-”

“Long enough to wonder if you were coming out of your head, had I been an assassin,” Ryer trailed off. 

“Yeah yeah elfin asshole, I get it, keep thy guard up, even when lost in thought...” Barton said and looked at the mirror again. 

“A reflection cannot speak back on what is troubling you,” Ryer said. Barton nodded. 

“Troubled no, yes? Just lost in thought.”

“What thought were you on to cause you to be lost in it?”

“Talk normally man, none of this elfin word twisting... and just being here,” the human turned around crossed his arms over his chest and rested his butt against the sink. 

His shield wasn’t quite fast enough as a spark of magic came from Ryer and Barton hissed grabbing his arm. 

“Sinks are not seats,” Ryer lifted a brow at him. 

“You’re an asshole,” Barton grumbled rubbing his arm. It was little more than a magical flick, but it would leave a red mark a while. 

“So you keep saying, today we venture into the forest, eat lightly little Hawk-”

“Yeah I know th- wait forest?”

Ryer nodded his head, “its time to test out your archery, I will wait for you at the base of the Hearth Tree, western side.”


End file.
